KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — The construction of the Merdeka 118 tower amid the Covid-19 pandemic marks a great engineering achievement for the country and reinforces Malaysia’s position as a modern and developed nation.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he was informed Merdeka 118 would be the first tower in the country to receive triple platinum green ratings in international sustainability certification as well as the prestigious WELL certification.

(The WELL Building Standard takes a holistic approach to health in the built environment addressing behaviour, operations and design.)

"This makes Merdeka 118 the industry benchmark in Malaysia as an iconic tower of the future,” he said at the Merdeka 118 tower spire completion ceremony here today.

Ismail Sabri said the construction of Merdeka 118 would also benefit the Malaysian Family as the precinct would be a new economic catalyst for Kuala Lumpur.

"It will complement other areas that are rapidly developing such as KLCC and KL Sentral.

"The development of Merdeka 118 will also provide opportunities to the local community, especially in nearby areas such as Petaling Street, Kampung Attap and Pudu, to generate the economy,” he said.

Ismail Sabri said the construction of Merdeka 118 would also benefit the Malaysian Family as the precinct would be a new economic catalyst for Kuala Lumpur.

The prime minister said it was also seen as bearing the Keluarga Malaysia spirit as, apart from offering opportunities for the local community to develop their business, they could also hold programmes and activities to make the areas surrounding Merdeka 118 more attractive through the Merdeka 118 Community Grants Programme.

On the Merdeka 118 grants which were open for applications from June 28 to August 20, 2021, he said the Malaysian Family could have applied for three types of grants — Sports, Arts and Business Community — and this directly promoted the Malaysian Family’s participation in sharing ideas to reactivate the community to create more socioeconomic growth opportunities.

Meanwhile, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) president and group chief executive Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn said that Merdeka 118 was a development spanning 40 acres (16.2 hectares), half of which comprised Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara.

"Merdeka 118 has achieved 85 per cent completion, and the tower floor installation has reached the 118th floor while the glass panel installation has reached the 114th floor.

"Despite facing pandemic challenges, I am proud to report that the tower and upgrading of surrounding infrastructure is on track to be completed by end-2022,” he added. — Bernama