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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