The 100-storey Warisan Merdeka skyscraper announced during the 2011 Budget speech has become a lightning rod for opposition attacks and has also emerged as a popular target for criticism on the Internet due to its perceived grandiosity.
Malaysians, who were recently declared the world’s heaviest users of Facebook, have turned to the social networking site to express their dismay over the proposal.
An anti-Warisan Merdeka page on Facebook called “1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower” has been signing up fans at an astonishing rate of over 1,000 per hour yesterday. It had 37,420 fans at 5.55pm yesterday, breached the 50,000 mark at around 11.30pm and hit 60,408 fans as at 11.50am today.
“today we built 100 storey building, tomorrow Arabs will built 150 story building. no point of having the tallest building in the world if you don’t have well educated citizens, good living environment, 5 billion can help alot in upgrading infrastructures for our country,” wrote Facebooker Nazri Ahtar.
“jalan raya kat cheras ni pun byk yang berlobang, traffic light rosak x repair, bas x cukup, lagi nak buat menara ni, gila ape? selamat menderita rakyat malaysia....(The roads in Cheras are full of potholes, broken traffic lights are not repaired, insufficient buses, and you still want to build this tower, are you crazy? Happy suffering citizens of Malaysia….)” wrote another Facebook user Muhamad Rais.
The project also continues to be hot topic of discussion on Twitter after the initial negative reaction, with many questioning the need for the tower and its implications on traffic in an already heavily congested city.
Despite Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s denial that it was his idea and that it was mooted by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the project risks becoming inextricably associated with his administration by virtue of its perceived government backing.
Some of his critics on Twitter have derisively referred to the proposed icon as “tower of bebal”, a reference to the story of the Tower of Babel and its lesson about human arrogance.
Property analysts and developers, meanwhile, have called for a detailed study to be made on the viability of the project and its impact on the city’s vacancy rates and allocation of resources.
The opposition has also pounced on the opportunity to use the tower to mock the government.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (picture) said yesterday that the continuing brain drain was a consequence of failed economic policies that “stresses 100-storey Warisan Merdeka over human capital formation.”
The project was announced by Najib during his Budget speech last Friday and has appeared to have overshadowed the Budget itself.
The inclusion of the tower in his Budget speech has also created confusion over whether Warisan Merdeka will be privately financed or built using government funds or with government backing, but PNB has since clarified that it would not be using any government funds.
PNB, a government-linked investment corporation, however, remained tight lipped over how it was going to finance the project.
Its president and group chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said yesterday: “If we create really good returns, maybe I want to finance everything. But if debt can help to get more margins, why not?”
The prime minister appeared to put some distance between himself and the controversial tower when he made it known that the project did not originate from him but PNB.
He nevertheless defended it, saying that it would have a “multiplier effect” on the economy and help drive it forward, in addition to providing an attractive commercial centre for Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera businesses alike.
Others who came out in support of the project say that it will boost tourism, create jobs, stimulate economic activity and raise land value prices in the vicinity.
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen said that Malaysians should take the tower positively.
“Look at Shanghai, they start with a tower and keep adding more, the same goes for Taipei,” she said.
comments
/// "today we built 100 storey building, tomorrow Arabs will built 150 story building. no point of having the tallest building in the world if you don’t have well educated citizens, good living environment, 5 billion can help alot in upgrading infrastructures for our country,” wrote Facebooker Nazri Ahtar. ///
Yo, Nazri - you sleeping or what? Dubai already has the 162 storey Burj Khalifa and it is already completed.
it really shows that he's a liar... wanting to fool Malaysians during national budget but when there's too much he backs off but saying 'it aint govt money'
Would one trust such as PM??????
Wait a minute, this has been long forgotten. When oil price was 110USD/Barrel at RM exchange to USD 3.8, electricity bill was adjusted up. AND now oil price is at 81USD/Barrel with exchange to USD 3.1. Worked out RM418/barrel compared to now 251/barrel. it's near 40% reduction is price in RM. Will TNB reduce electricity bill? how come this is not address in 2011 budget? Opposition, help with this?
dont forget.....Najib is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PNB.
His face is on their official website.
Since PNB initiated the project and so confidence about it, they should financing the 100 'Story" by their own. Why need to use the federal budget? Don't be a 'story teller' here la.
if PNB wants to go ahead with the project on his own funding, who's care how they gonna finance the projects since it all comes from the Amanah Saham's shareholders pocket too.
Join facebook “1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower” to express your opposition!
I think the 5Billion should be invested in public transportation...
PNB use ASN, ASB funds to borrow $ for building the tower..if this is not our $, then whose?
Why not CIMB use its funds to build the tower?
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