Sultan Abdul Samad Building
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is one of the historical landmarks in the
city center. Located just opposite the Merdeka
Square Kuala Lumpur and the Royal Selangor Club, the structure got its name
from Sultan Abdul Samad, the reigning Sultan when the constructions works for
the building began.
It was designed by A.C. Norman and built in 1894-1897 to house several important
government departments during the British administration. A.C. Norman spent time
in Africa and saw Muslim mosques in India which led him to use Mughal
architecture in the building's design.
The building has a shiny copper dome and a clock tower which is 40 meters high.
The building serves as a backdrop for many essential events for the country.
Among the important events celebrated at the Sultan Abdul Samad Building are the
National Day Parade on August 31 and the welcoming of the New Year. Other
historical event which took place at this building was the declaration of
independence of Malaysia back in 31 August 1957.
Another important event happened here is on 1st January 1982, the clock tower
became the venue for the time between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and
Singapore were standardised to UTC+8.
The building was housed the superior courts of the country, the Federal Court of
Malaysia, the Court of Appeals and the High Court of Malaya.
Getting There
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is within walking distance from
Masjid Jamek. Thus, an alternative way you can
get here other than using the taxi service is by getting on the LRT and stop at
the Masjid Jamek Station. From there you can walk to the Sultan Abduk Samad
Building.
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