Merdeka 118

Merdeka 118 tops out at 678.9 metres including its spire, which makes it the tallest building in Southeast Asia and the second tallest in the world after the Burj Khalifa, and it was topped out in 2021 after roughly a decade of construction. On 28 July 2026 it was officially renamed Menara Merdeka Maybank, after the bank that made it its headquarters; this page keeps the earlier name. The name and the siting are deliberate: it stands beside Stadium Merdeka, where independence from Britain was declared in 1957, and the faceted glass skin is meant to echo the raised hand of the first prime minister making that declaration. The observation deck, called The View at 118, is planned for the upper floors with an open-air level and a glass box projecting from the side, but its opening has slipped repeatedly and most of the tower's public areas were still closed in mid-2026. Below are a mall, a hotel and a mosque. Whether the tower sits well against the low colonial-era district around it is argued about locally.

History

The name Merdeka, "independence" in Malay, comes from the nearby Stadium Merdeka, and the spire was completed in December 2022, bringing the tower to its final height of 678.9 m above the ground (Wikipedia, Merdeka 118).

What to look for

• The second tallest building on earth - 679 metres including the spire.
• The View at 118 - the planned observation floors with an open-air level and a glass box, not yet open at last report.
• Stadium Merdeka below - where independence was declared in 1957.
• A faceted glass skin - the diamond facade the tower is known for.

When to go

All year; late afternoon for daylight and the lights coming on. Two hours.

Practical notes

The observation deck's opening has been delayed more than once - check that it is actually open before planning around it. It is expensive by local standards. Haze and cloud regularly cut the view. Queues at the lifts are long at peak.

Nearby

Stadium Merdeka is at the foot; Chinatown and Merdeka Square are a short walk.

Key facts