KL Spending $180m on Conservation and Green Corridor Projects

Malaysia is pumping at least RM600 million (S$180 million) into efforts to restore its crumbling heritage buildings and build walking corridors in downtown Kuala Lumpur, in a bid to revive the capital city's historic zone.

- Hazlin Hassan

KUALA LUMPUR -

The Warisan KL, or KL Heritage, initiative, is spearheaded by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional through its subsidiary Think City. It comprises 10 flagship projects within a 20 sq km zone that range from architectural conservation to green corridors.

"A city must be fresh with interesting and attractive physical features that align with technological advancement and change in times," Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said as he launched the initiative at Kuala Lumpur City Hall on April 25. "It must also remain deeply rooted in tradition and culture," he added.

At the heart of this rejuvenation effort is the restoration of Carcosa Seri Negara — a storied colonial estate built between 1898 and 1913, and later converted into a five-star hotel that often hosted visiting dignitaries — and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a 128-year-old Moorish-inspired complex that once housed the British colonial administration.

Datuk Seri Anwar recalled that, when he was Umno Youth chief (1982-1987), he had joined the push for the British government to return Carcosa Seri Negara to Malaysia — a goal that was achieved in 1987 — which he described as a "small contribution" on his part.