Sultan Abdul Samad Building

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building was named after the reigning Sultan of Selangor at that time, Sultan Abdul Samad.

The first thing that will strike you is the ‘Mahometan’ style of building, also known as ‘Neo-Saracenic’. This style comes from India where it modelled a few Muslim mosques from there. Construction of the building began in 1894 and was completed after three years. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building was originally known as the new Government Offices and housed the Public Works Department, the Survey Office, the Treasury, the Post and Telegraph Offices and some of the departments of the Federated Malay States.

The largest building of its day, it is constructed entirely of brick. The parts that look like cream stones are actually plaster covered brick. The front fa?�ade stretches 137 meters in length. It has a large porch in the centre. If you look carefully at the porch, you will see three horseshoe arches, with vertical structures supporting them. If you step back a little you can marvel at the 41.2 metre clock tower. This clock was first heard during Queen Victoria’s birthday parade in 1897 at an event attended by the cr?�me de la cr?�me of British officers in Malaya. There is another dome, but this time it is a shiny copper dome. And on top of the dome, is a shiny copper chatri, the thing that looks like a needle coming out of it. There are two other circular towers on both ends of the building, and they each also have a shiny copper dome.

This heritage building used to house the Federal Court and the Court of Appeals. However, both the courts have since moved to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building now houses the Commercial Division of the High Court of Malaya.

The clock tower is sometimes known as the Big Ben of Kuala Lumpur. On 1 January 1982, the clock tower became the venue for a historic event when the time between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were standardized. On December 31, 1981, at 23:30 hours local time, citizens in Peninsular Malaysia adjusted their clocks and watches ahead by 30 minutes to match the time in East Malaysia, which was 00:00 hours of January 1, 1982. And in a blink of an eye; the Malaysian Standard Time is now +8 GMT!

Beneath the tower is the word ‘Merdeka’. Merdeka means Independence. Every year, during Hari Merdeka or Independence Day, thousands of spectators gather here to watch the colourful parade along the streets and performances held at the field opposite of the road.

And on state occasions, the entire building is lit up, making it look like a scene from the Arabian Nights.

Wherever you are going to travel, you should bring usb lighter in anticipation of an emergency, besides that lighter is also very necessary under any circumstances. Given its simple but elegant and easy to carry shape, it is a futuristic lighter without gas.

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