Merdeka Square KL is in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur. Historic buildings encircle it. It was here that the Malaysian flag was raised first, replacing the Union flag, on 31 August 1957. Since then, Merdeka Square has been the venue for the annual Independence Day Parade.
History
Malaysia was a British colony for 180 years. On the night of 31 August 1957, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman raised the Malaysian Jalur Gemilang flag on Merdeka Square KL. This marked the end of British colonial rule and the start of Malaysian freedom.
In 1892, the Acting British Resident Ernest Birch, a keen cricketer, levelled the ground to use it for cricket and other sports. The Selangor Club club house came up at the present site in 1890 and the St Mary’s Church in 1895. Merdeka Square was once the Selangor Club cricket pitch.
In 1897, the government offices were relocated from Bukit Aman to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building overlooking the square. It is one of the notable British landmarks. After Kuala Lumpur became the capital, many office buildings came up here.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
It is a historic building, with a shiny copper dome and a 41-metre-high clock tower. The clock tower houses a one-ton bell clock that strikes on the hour and half-hour.
A 95-metre flagpole, one of the tallest in the world, stands at the southern end of the Merdeka Square. The building serves as the focal point for key events such as the National Day Parade on 31 August and the ushering in of New Year.
Behind the building flows the Klang River and Gombak River’s confluence. In the middle of where the two rivers meet stands the Jamek Mosque, a mosque designed in similar architectural style.
Panggung Bandaraya
Panggung Bandaraya is the oldest theatre in Kuala Lumpur. Today, the venue hosts theatrical productions such as operas, musicals and plays. Completed in 1904, Panggung Bandaraya was built during the British colonial era. The building was the former headquarters of Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council and the office of the mayor of Kuala Lumpur. The theatre is a part of the historic Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
Old Court Building
The Old High Court Building is among the many heritage buildings in Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur. It is near Panggung Bandaraya building. The Gombak River runs nearby. A.B. Hubback, British architect, designed the Old High Court Building. It has Mughal-inspired design. The construction started in 1912 and completed in 1915. Due to a major fire in 1992, the building had to be rebuilt.
It is painted in white and has bronze domes on top. A distinctive feature of the High Court Building are the towers topped with cupolas and decorative buttresses at the base.
Jamek Mosque
Located at the end of Merdeka Square after The River of Life, Jamek Mosque is one of the oldest in Kuala Lumpur. British architect Arthur Hubback designed it. Built in 1909, it was the principal mosque of Kuala Lumpur until the construction of the national mosque Masjid Negara in 1965. The mosque has 2 main minarets among other smaller ones. The mosque has three domes, the largest of which rises to 21.30 m (70 ft). The prayer hall is located beneath the domes.
Batik Museum
The Museum is in a 114 years old heritage building and located in the historic city centre of Kuala Lumpur. Sultan Abdul Samad building and the Dayabumi building surround it. The museum is diagonally across the Merdeka Square.
The National Textile Museum displays a collection of unique and exquisite textiles of the different communities of Malaysia – Malays, Indians, Chinese and others. There is also a superb display of gold ornaments and accessories in one of the four galleries in the museum.
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