KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — The restoration of Carcosa Seri Negara and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building will help strengthen national identity while enriching the experience of tourists and the local community, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Efforts to preserve both landmarks in the Federal capital align with the aspirations of Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
“I believe these efforts are to ensure these historic buildings are not only preserved but also developed into sustainable cultural and economic hubs accessible to all,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Anwar shared that Khazanah Nasional Berhad briefed him on the restoration effort status before he chaired the Cabinet meeting today.
“The briefing, conducted through a ‘gallery boardwalk,’ provided an overview of the ongoing project, which is part of Khazanah’s initiative to restore and revitalise these national heritage sites,” he said.
On February 28, the Prime Minister announced that the area from Dataran Merdeka to Carcosa Seri Negara, including the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, would be designated as the Kuala Lumpur Heritage Site.
Anwar had informed the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj that the Sultan Abdul Samad Building must be preserved as a symbol of the great Malay Sultanate heritage.
Earlier on February 18, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said that Carcosa Seri Negara, which has been closed for nearly six years, will have a new look once restoration works are completed by July.
The historic building was shut down on June 1, 2019, after the Federal government took over the premises from a third party.
Carcosa Seri Negara, a building which once witnessed the signing of the 1957 Federation of Malaya Agreement, was built by Sir Frank Swettenham, the first British Resident-General of the Federated Malay States.
— Bernama
