An inspiration ? For :
On the stroke of midnight on August 31 , 1957 , The federal states of Malaya were granted their independence from the British Empire , over which the sun was setting very quickly ! The iconic photos of the new Prime Minister Tunuk Abdul Raman , was used by his son ( Najib ) , the then prime minister, as the inspiration for the design of KL’s latest tallest building ; Merdeka 118 ( Well that’s according to the PR blurb ) . The 150 m spire on the top representing the “Tunuk ‘s “ hand pointing skywards ? The cynic would say that 150 metres was necessary to ensure that the building could claim to be the tallest in Asia . It would seem that in Malaysia , each PM needs his own tallest tower .
To pay for this latest piece of personal aggrandisement , Nagib , the PM launched an investment fund for the declared intent of raising monies to invest in Malaysia . The financials of the fund were managed by its’ chairman, the PM and the Finance Minister ; who were conveniently all the same person …..Najib . This was clearly too much of a temptation , which culminated in the transfer of USD 600 into his personal bank account . Having lost an election , Najib ended in jail, but Malaysia with a debt of USD 10 billion . This fraud was partly facilitated by the bank Goldman Sacks ; who agreed to pay USD 3.9 billion to avoid prosecution ( and their US executives from going to jail ? ).
Well back to these towers , which was the purpose of our visit to town . The latest tower is not yet open , and the second highest doesn’t allow the public in ; so that left the twin towers . This first viewing platform is the sky bridge that connects the two towers , that at the 54 floor . What they don’t tell you is that it is only loosely connected , as it has to cater for the towers moving independently . Two more lift rides and we are at the 82 floor , only two from the top . There they tell you that the towers have been designed for a wind speed of 130 km per hour ; one third of that of hurricane Katrina !!!!! Our solar panels are designed for more than that . It was miraculously a clear day ,given that this is the rainy season, and KL could be seen spread around us …; and ( the towers were still standing ) ! The view : towers and further construction , as far as the eye could see. I wonder as the world,s population growth ceases , then deconstruction will follow ?
Twin towers …as viewed from above
Strange , the biggest tower now looks smaller
Firmly back on the ground , I couldn’t but marvel at the local pets , and their ability to clear up their own mess .
And just in case one resident had his own stainless steel pooper scoopers
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