Merdeka 118

Merdeka 118 is a very tall building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has 118 stories and is 678.9 metres (2,227 feet) tall, making it the second-tallest building in the world. Only the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, is taller.

The building was finished in November 2023 and had its big opening on January 10, 2024. But as of July 1, 2025, it is still closed and workers are still finishing some parts of it. One part of the building, the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Hotel on level 75, opened on August 7, 2025.

The name “Merdeka” means “independence” in Malay, and the building is close to Stadium Merdeka. The top point, or spire, of the building was completed in December 2022.

Merdeka 118 is the tallest building in Malaysia and in all of Southeast Asia. It will also be the first building in Malaysia to get special awards for being good for the environment.

Building

The project was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Bin Ahmad Badawi on 12 September 2007. When it was completed in 2023, the tower became the tallest building in Malaysia. It has office spaces, hotels, and shops, plus an observatory floor that will be the highest observation deck in Southeast Asia. There are two observation decks, one inside the building and another inside the spire, and a shopping area called the 118 Mall. The building will be surrounded by parks, and it includes space for elevators, fun areas, maintenance, and parking for up to 8,500 cars. Sixty of the 80 office floors will be used by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the company that developed the project, and its subsidiaries.

Funding

See also: 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal and The Exchange 106

The Merdeka 118 building is on a large piece of land and was paid for by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), a company owned by the Malaysian government.

Some people in Malaysia were upset because they thought the money used for the building should have been spent on important things like roads and helping workers earn more. In 2016, the Prime Minister Najib Razak said the project would create jobs and be good for the economy.

Site

The Merdeka 118 building is located on Jalan Hang Jebat where Merdeka Park used to be, now turned into an open-air car park. It is close to famous places such as Petaling Street, sports arenas like Merdeka Stadium, Stadium Negara, and the Chin Woo Stadium, as well as schools including the Victoria Institution, the Methodist Boys' School, and the Chinese-type Jalan Davidson Primary School.

The area also includes access to the new Merdeka MRT station on the Kajang Line. The building is connected to three main roads through the Belfield Tunnel, a two-story underground tunnel that goes under Kampung Attap and Jalan Maharajalela to the building's basement.

Design

The Merdeka 118 building has special diamond-shaped glass walls that show the rich mix of people in Malaysia. Its shape was inspired by Tunku Abdul Rahman, who raised his hand when he announced the independence of Malaya in 1957. The building will include the 118 Mall, fancy offices, hotels, and places to live. It will also have bright LED lights that move around at night. Experts helped make sure it follows green building rules from groups like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Floor plans

(All of the floor plans and its level arrangements were obtained from the building's proposals and may be subject to change.)

Height

Merdeka 118 is a very tall building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has 118 stories and reaches up to 678.9 metres (2,227 feet) tall. This makes it the second-tallest building in the world, just a little shorter than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, which is 829.8 m (2,722 ft) tall.

Progress

The building of Merdeka 118 started with big companies bidding to help build it. Important construction work began in November 2015 when a big contract was given to a team from South Korea.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, building stopped for a little while in March 2020 but started again later that year. By August 2020, the building had grown taller than the previous tallest building in Southeast Asia.

In June 2021, the building was almost done, with glass walls being added. The building was finally finished in November 2021. In January 2024, an important leader officially opened Merdeka 118, saying it shows how people in the country celebrate together.

In March 2025, a long tunnel was opened to help people get to the building's underground parking area. This tunnel also helps visitors to the hotel and shopping area planned to open soon.

Trespassing incidents

In 2022, a video showed a group of people from America climbing to the top of Merdeka 118, which caused concern about security at the building. The people were later charged for breaking the law.

The same year, two people known for climbing buildings went up the tower. This led to more concerns, and police in Malaysia began an investigation.

Notable events

In August 2025, Merdeka 118 held its first ever tower-running event called The Sky Race. This happened during Malaysia’s Independence Day celebrations and was part of the Towerrunning Asian & Oceanian Championships.

Runners had to climb 2,845 steps to reach the 118th floor, a place usually closed to visitors. People aged 13 and older could join, with different groups like younger runners, older runners, and teams. Over 5,800 people from around 70 countries signed up.

The event set two new records: the Highest Towerrunning Race and the Most Finishers in a Towerrunning Race. Winners in the men’s and women’s groups came from Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, and China. The Sky Race showed how Merdeka 118 is not just a building, but also a place for sports and showing national pride. Many runners were trying tower-running for the very first time.

In popular culture

Merdeka 118 appeared in a 2023 episode of the DC Comics television series Superman & Lois. In the episode called "Closer," Clark Kent / Superman and his son Jordan Kent stopped a crane from falling off the building.

In the 2025 Marvel Studios film Thunderbolts*, the character Black Widow agent Yelena Belova jumped off the roof during a mission. To celebrate the movie, Merdeka 118 had special lights showing the film's theme for several nights before and after the film came out, until 1 May 2025.