PNB 118

**Merdeka 118**, also known as **PNB 118**, is a 118-storey, 644-metre (2,113-foot) megatall skyscraper currently under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the tallest under construction building as of January 2021. Upon completion, the structure will become the tallest building in Malaysia (surpassing the Petronas Towers) and also in Southeast Asia, and will be the second-tallest building in the world.

## Background

The Merdeka 118 (the whole precinct) development is funded by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB),[5] with a budget of RM5 billion.[6] When completed in 2022, the tower will be the tallest building in Malaysia. It will consist of 400,000 square metres (4,300,000 square feet) of residential, hotel and commercial space.[7]

The building will consist of 100 storeys of rentable space, including 83 storeys of office space, 12 storeys of hotel rooms, 5 storeys of hotel residences and a retail business center. The non-rentable space consists of elevators, recreational and maintenance facilities, as well as parking spaces for up to 8,500 cars. 60 out of the 80 storeys of office space will be reserved for Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the developer of the project, and its subsidiaries.[8][9]

## Site

The building is sited at Petaling Hill, a low-density hill directly southeast of the historic Kuala Lumpur old town, on the location of the former Merdeka Park (which was subsequently repurposed into an open-air car park). The site lies within the vicinity of a number of historic landmarks with little modern development: Independence-era sporting venues including the Merdeka Stadium, the National Stadium and the Chin Woo Stadium, the pre-war school grounds of the Methodist Boys' School and Victoria Institution and the stalled Plaza Rakyat project (across the Ampang Line).[6] The Merdeka 118 development, when completed, will also have access to the newly built MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line excavated underneath the southern end of Kuala Lumpur old town.[10][11]

## Design

The building is designed with a mixture of diamond shaped facades to signify the diversity of Malaysians. The glass and steel building with its spire is said to resemble the raised hand of Tunku Abdul Rahman when he proclaimed the independence of Malaysia. It will contain a shopping complex, offices, and residential areas. The structural engineers are Leslie E. Robertson Associates and Robert Bird Group.[12] Environmental Design and Engineering firm Neapoli Group was employed to provide consultancy services towards achieving platinum rating with three Green Building certification bodies: LEED, Green Building Index and GreenRE.[13] The four top floors will be used as an observation deck.[14]

## Progress

The piling and foundation work for the project was awarded to Pintaras Geotechnics Sdn Bhd.[15][16] Permodalan Nasional Bhd shortlisted six groups for various construction jobs such as Samsung C&T-UEM Group Bhd, IJM Corp Bhd-Norwest Holdings Sdn Bhd- Shimizu Corp, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd-China State Construction Engineering Corp, WCT Bhd-Arabtec Construction LLC, TSR Capital Bhd-Daewoo Group, and Seacera Group Bhd-Spaz Sdn Bhd-Sinohydro Corp-Shanghai Construction Group. These companies submitted their bids by January 28, 2015.[17][18]KONE, a Finnish group, is supplying around 87 elevators and escalators for the project.[19]

On 23 November 2015, PNB announced a contract worth RM 3.4 Billion has been awarded to the joint venture of South Korea's Samsung C&T and UEM Group Bhd.[20] Furthermore, on 9 November 2017, PNB planned to raise up to RM2 billion fund for its project via green sukuk with 15-year tenure. The sukuk, which is also known as Merdeka Asean Green SRI Sukuk Programme, covered the development of its 83-storey office space, which forms part of the Tower. It is the first adopter of the Asean Green Bond Standards launched by the Securities Commission Malaysia that validates PNB commitment to develop the project as a sustainable and environmentally-friendly project.[21]

On 27 February 2018, it was announced that Park Hyatt will open up a hotel in Merdeka 118.[22] The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will occupy the top 17 floors of the building; It is slated to have 232 units, including 28 suites and 30 apartments.

The construction was halted on 18 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in mid-May 2020.[14] In early August 2020, the building's concrete core topped out at 118 floors surpassing the Vincom Landmark 81 as the tallest building in Southeast Asia. On 25 October 2020, PNB president, Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn, announced that phase 1 and 2 are expected to be finished in 2022 Q2 instead of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Phase 3 is expected to be completed in 2024 or 2025. The construction is currently in phase 1 which focuses on the tower.[23]

As of February 2021, the tower is 70% completed and has reached Level 116 of its floor slab. The ongoing façade panel installation is at Level 96 and the retail podium is currently under construction.[24] Turner International plays the role of Project Management Consultant for this complex development.[25]

## Criticism

Many have criticised this project, claiming that it is wasteful and the RM5 billion funds could have been used for other causes like healthcare or education. In response to the criticism, the former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak claimed that the project was not a waste and will bring more benefits by generating economic opportunities.[5]

## Transportation

The building will be served by Kajang Line Merdeka MRT station located beside Jalan Hang Jebat, itself an interchange with the Ampang/Sri Petaling Line's Plaza Rakyat station. The Hang Tuah station, serving both the Ampang Line and KL Monorail, is a 600-metre walk southeast.