A RM300 million proposed new building for the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is sending a Federal Territories parliamentarian in a fit.

 

“This is crazy. Why do we need to spend so much money for a local council new building?

 

“Isn't it better if the government use the money to build more low-cost flats?” Seputeh MP Teresa Kok wrote on Facebook .

 

She said this in response to a parliamentary reply to her question yesterday, from Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor.

 

The written reply said the redevelopment of Menara DBKL 2 will cost RM300 million, with RM1 million allocated for this year to prepare its design.

 

“The appointment of consultants and contractors for the construction of Menara DBKL 2 has yet to be done because it is still in planning stage.

 

“If implemented, the project is slated for completion after year 2020,” the minister said.

Old office just renovated

 

The Star last November reported that the project entails the demolition of the existing 12-storey DBKL building and constructing new buildings on the site.

 

The proposed design - selected from a competition - features a total of four towers, including the existing Menara 1 and a new 57-storey skyscraper. The Menara 1 building is a gazetted heritage building.

 

However, the mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib had said changes will be made to the winning design to suit DBKL’s budget.

 

He also lauded the fact that the four-tower design could be implemented in stages.

 

According to The Star , the existing building that is to make way for the project had just been renovated months earlier, and the report quoted unnamed insiders saying that the renovations had cost at least a seven-figure sum.

 

This included the upgrading of the lifts and escalators, and retiling of some department offices and all toilets in the building.

 

In the written reply yesterday, Tengku Adnan said the existing building now houses the offices of several DBKL departments.

 

In contrast, the new building would include a special space for a one-stop centre and automation facilities for applications, approvals and consultations.

'Centralising departments'

 

“To do this, the departments involved would be placed in a central location so that DBKL can provide efficient service and ensure that its ‘World Bank Ranking’ would remain among the best.

 

“The tower would also have a variety of public amenities including a community centre, exhibition space, recreational space, a library designed as public space building with commercial space, and a business centre, which include function rooms to be rented to the public.

 

“It would also provide centralised management facilities to reduce management and logistic costs, thus saving time and money,” he said.

 

Currently, DBKL staff are placed in three buildings: Menara 1 and Menara 2, which are located next to each other along Jalan Raja Laut, and Menara 3 about two kilometres away at Jalan Raja Abdullah.

 

The Star had quoted Ahmad Phesal as saying that once the new building is completed, staff at Menara 3 will be moved into the new offices while the vacated building would be rented out.