Towering Things

Just where exactly is the center of Kuala Lumpur? Do we set the colonial edifice of Dataran Merdeka as the center or is it our shine modern spires of KLCC as the center? Well, it has to be KLCC isn't it? Why would they call it the Kuala Lumpur City Center if it wasn't.

I like the skyline of my city, with the Twin Towers on one corner and the KL Tower on the other, bracketing the other smaller buildings between it. It's immediately recognizable, even if you were to draw just the outlines and fill it black. That's KL. The only other city with a skyline quite like ours in Cologne by the Rhine in Germany with the twin spires of the Kölner Dom on one side and across the river, the ubiquitous German TV tower.

But of course, Cologne is smaller than KL with a more rustic look than our messy city.

A Malaysian newspaper a while back reported on the Menteri Besar of Johor talking about how Johor Bahru is getting its own 'KLCC' whereby the land on which their turf club now sits on will be repurposed as the new center of the city and at the center of it all is a tower, no, two towers that is going to look like the Petronas Twin Towers in KL.

Why oh why?

I believe that each city should have a landmark of its own, a distinct landmark mind you, not one 'inspired' by others in some other places near or far. You guys want to show of to Singapore or what? "Owh, those buggers can't see our KLCC, so far. We build one in JB la, baru diorang tau". Senseless. I'm sure there are plenty of skilled Johorean architects that would love to see a modern building as a landmark of their city, a city smaller only to KL itself, rather than having a cheap imitation planted on their soil.

You know what? Take the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower. Go ahead. I think it would serve JB better than it would KL. You want to brag right? Want Singaporeans to see what we can do right? Build that la, so that they can't stand on Bukit Timah without having it on their sight. Good idea what? With a name as kitsch as Warisan Merdeka, JB is the most apt location. Datuk Onn Jaafar, the father of UMNO hails from JB, UMNO started in JB, Johor is the true Malay stronghold, their Sultanate traces its root back to the mighty Malacca itself. Such glory!

So yeah, Dear Leader sir. If you happen to read my blog, I promise to vote for your party if you take that penis-like tower of yours away from Victoria Institution and build it in JB instead. Dangerous la sir, those VI boys, their school is all boys you know. If they see that tower from their classes everyday, they'll get all horny and gatal-gatal.

You surely don't want another MCKK with its Defacto Leader bothering you don't you?