List of tallest buildings in Malaysia

Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur is the tallest building in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and the second tallest structure ever constructed.

Malaysia is home to one of the largest congregations of skyscrapers in the world. The country ranks fourth in the global list compiled by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), with 358 recorded structures built exceeding the height of 150 metres (492 ft).[1] The country's first skyscraper was built in Kuala Lumpur in 1978, and since then the city has one of the tallest skylines in the world.[2] Besides Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding metropolitan area, most Malaysian skyscrapers are built either in George Town or Johor Bahru.[3] Since 2023, Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur has been the tallest skyscraper in Malaysia. Built with an architectural height of 678.9 metres (2,227 ft), it contains the tallest observatory installed in a spire and is currently the world's second tallest building or man-made structure.[4]

Malaysia's history with skyscrapers originated from construction booms in Kuala Lumpur between the 1970s and 1980s, where architectural height records were constantly broken and surpassed. In 1971, the 28-storey Sime Bank Building (currently Takaful Building) was the first building to exceed 100 metres (328 ft).[5] In 1978, the Bank Muamalat Building became the first skyscraper in the country under the definitions of the CTBUH.[6] In 1985, the 65-storey Komtar in George Town became the first skyscraper to exceed 200 metres (656 ft) in height.[7] The Petronas Towers, a pair of 88-storey supertall skyscrapers located in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, were the tallest skyscrapers in the world from 1998 to 2004, and remains the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world as of 2023.[8]

Currently, Malaysia has 304 completed structures above 150 metres (492 ft), 83 structures above 200 metres (656 ft), and eight structures above 300 metres (984 ft) in architectural height.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Countries by Number of 150m+ Buildings – The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Cities by Number of 150m+ Buildings – The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Malaysia". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Lure of the newest and tallest". www.dailyexpress.com.my. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Bangunan Sime Bank". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Menara Bank Muamalat". Phorio.com. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  7. ^ "Komtar's Hidden Gems". Penang Monthly. 1 May 2016. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Petronas Towers". World's Tallest Towers. Retrieved 6 December 2023.