The short answer
Merdeka 118 stands 678.9 m tall with 118 floors, and was renamed Menara Merdeka Maybank on 28 July 2026. Maybank is the anchor tenant, leasing about 33 floors on a 21-year tenancy, not the owner: the owner is PNB. Inside is a mixed-use precinct: 118 Mall, offices, the Park Hyatt hotel and The View at 118 observation deck, linked to Merdeka MRT. The presenter sees support for nearby rents from more than 7,000 Maybank staff, foreign professionals and visitors, and a gap in mid-priced short stays, but stresses that a landmark does not guarantee every nearby project is a good buy.
Quick facts from the video
- Height: 678.9 m, 118 floors above ground and 5 basement levels; about 160 m of it is the spire
- Name: Merdeka 118, renamed Menara Merdeka Maybank on 28 July 2026
- Owner: PNB, with its own offices on levels 91 to 96
- Maybank: tenant on levels 43 to 74 (about 33 floors) under a 21-year tenancy
- Hotel: Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, about 200 rooms, opened August 2025; about RM1,500 a night depending on season
- 118 Mall: seven floors, 300+ shops, an 88 m glass dome and a Malaysian Artisan District floor; footfall target about 22 million a year
- The View at 118: observation deck on levels 116 to 118, billed as the highest in Southeast Asia; target over one million visitors a year
- Builder: Samsung C&T, which also built the Burj Khalifa, Petronas Twin Towers and Taipei 101
This article summarises our Mandarin video, published on 13 October 2026. Figures are as quoted in the video and its description, so confirm opening dates, prices and ticketing yourself before you act. For what is actually for sale beside the tower, see property near Merdeka 118 and the MABA Suitez project page.
Does Maybank own Merdeka 118?
No. Maybank moved its headquarters into the tower as a tenant, leasing levels 43 to 74 on a 21-year tenancy, and it holds the naming rights, which is why the tower became Menara Merdeka Maybank on 28 July 2026. The video points out that Maybank also renamed its older headquarters in the same way, so a name on a building does not mean ownership. The owner is PNB, the state-owned investment manager behind funds such as ASB and ASN, and PNB keeps its own offices on levels 91 to 96.
The presenter's reading of why a bank anchors the building: a tower this large costs a great deal to run, and a major tenant such as Maybank makes it far less likely to sit half empty. The rent flows back to PNB and, through its funds, to unit-holders.
How tall is it, and why is it second in the world?
The tower is 678.9 m. The video explains that roughly 160 m of that is the spire, and that CTBUH, the body that ranks tall buildings, counts the spire, which places Merdeka 118 second in the world after the Burj Khalifa. The glass facade uses 18,144 panels and the design draws on the Merdeka declaration gesture and songket patterns. Samsung C&T built it.
What is inside, floor by floor
- Basement: five underground levels of parking, with direct links to Merdeka MRT and other rail and monorail lines.
- 118 Mall (podium): seven floors and more than 300 shops under an 88 m glass dome, plus a floor for Malaysian crafts, independent designers and local food. The video says it was expected to open by the end of this year, so check the current status.
- Offices (about levels 43 to 74 and 91 to 96): Maybank, PNB and international firms, with many senior white-collar staff and foreign professionals.
- Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur (above the offices): about 200 rooms, a pool on level 99, opened August 2025.
- The View at 118 (levels 116 to 118): the observation deck, with an outdoor glass-floor sky walk experience.
The presenter's summary is that it is better thought of as a small city than as one building: transport hub, mall, offices, hotel, viewing platform and tourist attraction at a single address.
What it could mean for nearby property
The video argues that people bring spending, spending supports rents, and rents shape what buildings are worth. These are the presenter's points, not forecasts:
- Office tenants: Maybank alone is expected to bring more than 7,000 staff, and the presenter estimates that middle-level analysts and managers could pay rents of around RM4,000 to RM7,000 a month, with many wanting to live close to an MRT station.
- Limited new supply next door: there is little new residential stock right beside the tower, so the owners of nearby homes may capture that tenant pool first.
- Short-stay gap: the Park Hyatt is a luxury hotel at about RM1,500 a night, and the presenter sees a gap for mid-priced short stays near the MRT. Rules for short-term letting vary by building and by local regulation, so check what a specific project allows before relying on it.
- Visitors: the observation deck targets more than a million visitors a year, with Petaling Street, Merdeka Square and the stadium district nearby.
- Price data point: the presenter cites a project about 800 m from the tower that launched in 2021 at roughly RM700 to RM760 per sq ft and is now quoted around RM965 per sq ft in the resale market, and compares that with about RM3,000 per sq ft at the KLCC peak. We have not verified these figures independently.
The white elephant question
The presenter is clear that fame is not the same as value. A landmark does not lift every nearby project. What matters is real commercial footfall, actual rental demand, how much competing supply is coming, the price you pay and the cost of holding the property. Buy the right project at the right price, and know how you will rent it. Our Kuala Lumpur comparison puts the KLCC and Golden Triangle projects side by side on price, tenure and completion.
Can you buy a home in Merdeka 118?
The video says the Merdeka 118 residence is not yet for sale and belongs to PNB, so choices at this address are few. The new launch directly opposite the tower is MABA Suitez by EXSIM and the Malaysian Basketball Association, which the presenter says he will cover in a later video. See our MABA Suitez page for floor plans, prices and tenure, and living near Merdeka 118 for distances to the MRT, Petaling Street and Merdeka Square.
Video chapters
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | The world's second-tallest tower and why it matters |
| 01:26 | Structure, the spire question and the design inspiration |
| 03:50 | Why the Maybank name, and who really owns the building |
| 06:22 | Floor by floor: underground transport and car parking |
| 07:07 | 118 Mall and Malaysia's largest mall glass dome |
| 09:10 | The office floors and the professionals who work there |
| 09:50 | Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur |
| 10:23 | The View at 118, Southeast Asia's highest observation deck |
| 11:46 | Property angle: nearby rents and white-collar tenants |
| 13:24 | The short-stay accommodation gap near the tower |
| 14:46 | Heritage and the tourism landmark effect |
| 15:48 | Real data check: nearby prices and upside |
| 17:54 | Can you buy homes in Merdeka 118? Summary and outlook |
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Frequently asked questions
Does Maybank own Merdeka 118?
No. According to the walkthrough, Maybank leases about 33 floors (levels 43 to 74) on a 21-year tenancy and has naming rights, so the tower was renamed Menara Merdeka Maybank on 28 July 2026. The owner is PNB (Permodalan Nasional Berhad), which also keeps its own offices on levels 91 to 96.
How tall is Merdeka 118?
Merdeka 118 is 678.9 m tall with 118 floors above ground and 5 basement levels. About 160 m of that height is the spire, and the walkthrough explains that the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) counts the spire in its rankings, which is why the tower is ranked the world's second-tallest building after the Burj Khalifa.
What is inside Merdeka 118?
The walkthrough describes a vertical city: basement parking and direct rail connections, the 118 Mall retail podium, offices (Maybank, PNB and international firms), the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur hotel with about 200 rooms and a pool on level 99, and The View at 118 observation deck on levels 116 to 118.
Is Merdeka 118 connected to public transport?
Yes. The walkthrough says the basement connects directly to Merdeka MRT and to other nearby rail and monorail lines, which makes it one of the few Kuala Lumpur skyscrapers linked to more than one public transport line.
What is The View at 118?
It is the observation deck at the top of the tower, described in the walkthrough as the highest in Southeast Asia, with an outdoor glass-floor sky walk experience. The developer's visitor target quoted in the video is more than one million visitors a year. Check opening hours and ticketing before you visit.
Is 118 Mall open yet?
The walkthrough describes 118 Mall as seven floors with more than 300 shops, an 88 m glass dome and a Malaysian Artisan District floor, with an annual footfall target of about 22 million, and says it was expected to open by the end of this year. Our other Merdeka 118 guides note an earlier scheduled opening, so check the current opening status before you plan a visit.
Will Merdeka 118 raise property prices nearby?
The presenter argues it can support rents and prices by bringing in more than 7,000 Maybank staff, foreign professionals and tourists, while there is little new residential supply right next to the tower. He also warns that a famous landmark does not make every nearby project a good investment, and that price paid, actual rental demand, new supply and holding costs decide the outcome. Treat it as one view, not a forecast.
Can I buy a home inside Merdeka 118 or next to it?
The walkthrough says the Merdeka 118 residence is not yet for sale and belongs to PNB. The new launch directly opposite the tower is MABA Suitez by EXSIM and the Malaysian Basketball Association; see our MABA Suitez project page for floor plans, prices and facts, and confirm current availability with the developer.
