KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — When he launched Warisan KL in April 2025, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was aiming to revitalise the heart and soul of Kuala Lumpur.
The national heritage and culture-based urban rejuvenation initiative embarked on an ambitious plan to restore 10 historical landmarks that had seen better days.
They are:
- Carcosa and Seri Negara
- The Kuala Lumpur Old Railway Station
- Dataran Merdeka heritage area, including Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad
- The Merdeka 118 precinct
- Petaling Street
- Masjid Jamek enclave
- Central Market
- Medan Pasar
- Dayabumi Complex & City Point Dayabumi
- Masjid Negara
One year on, Malay Mail takes a look at how much has been done and what is next.
What’s been completed so far?
Under Khazanah Nasional’s stewardship, Seri Negara and Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad reopened to the public recently after a 10-month round-the-clock restoration exercise.
Next up is the building adjacent to Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad which was the General Post Office; this is slated for reopening in the second quarter of 2026.
Other key works in the Dataran Merdeka area up for restoration are the Union Jack flagpole and the Queen Victoria Fountain. There is also the upgrading of the Dataran Merdeka carpark.
Meanwhile, Seri Negara is set to get a 600 metre-long canopy-style pedestrian bridge, linking it to the Perdana Botanical Gardens by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the first phase of restoration works to preserve and reinstate the Old Railway Station’s iconic facade was completed on April 23.
Led by the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC), the second phase of restoration work is due for completion in 2027.
Another area that was restored and which has recently received a lot of attention is Jalan Sang Guna — historically known as Drury Lane or Madras Lane — which is between Jalan Tun HS Lee and the Petaling Street tourist belt.
Once a centre for Chinese theatrical performances and later a thriving wet market, the street fell into disuse with time as traders aged out and flash floods occured due to drainage failures.
Following efforts to rejuvenate the street under the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Cultural District (KLCCD) framework in 2019, Warisan KL has spruced up Jalan Sang Guna and reopened it to the public in January 2026.
Facades of shophouses dating back to the 1890s in the alley were restored and the drainage upgraded to curb flooding.
Storytelling panels and murals have also been installed along the alley, which now features new heritage-sensitive paving and a new timber archway at its Jalan Tun HS Lee entrance.
Jalan Sang Guna is also part of the Green Connector Network route threading through Petaling Street to form a continuous pedestrian corridor from Masjid Jamek to Kampung Attap under Warisan KL.
The second phase of Petaling Street’s facelift is already underway on the former Pasar Karat land, with street hawking improvements and further works to follow soon.
Similarly, infrastructure upgrades, enhanced accessibility and sensitive restoration works have also revitalised heritage landmarks like Central Market and Masjid Negara.
Creador Foundation, a Malaysian philanthropic organisation and a key partner in the Warisan KL initiative, is spearheading the restoration of nearly 54 heritage buildings in Medan Pasar.
Six buildings have been restored so far, with another eight fully restored by July 2026.
What’s coming up next?
Stadium Negara is set to undergo restoration later this year, following the successful restoration of Stadium Merdeka by PNB Merdeka Ventures that bagged the Unesco Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Merdeka 118, the world’s second-tallest skyscraper, will also be hosting several key attractions starting August in conjunction with the Merdeka celebrations.
These attractions include 118 Mall, The View at 118 which will be South-east Asia's highest observation deck and the Merdeka Textile Museum.
Meanwhile, the Carcosa is set to become an eco-sanctuary hotel and is still in the planning phase.
At the Masjid Jamek enclave, Prasarana is currently developing a boundary plan for the LRT Masjid Jamek and Pasar Seni stations to ensure alignment with the heritage zones and pedestrian flow.
Big plans are also in the pipeline for the Dayabumi Complex, one of the earliest post-independence architectural marvels of the city, that sits at the intersection of some major heritage assets.
The complex’s former retail podium, City Point, will be reimagined into an open, pedestrian-oriented retail park so that the Dayabumi Complex can be cherished as an architectural heritage.
