Govt Orders Kl Tower S Temporary Closure Amid Concession Dispute

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The communications ministry said Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd has been operating the KL Tower without government authorisation.
PETALING JAYA: The government has ordered the temporary closure of the Kuala Lumpur Tower, effective tomorrow, amid a dispute over the concession to manage the skyscraper.
In a statement, the communications ministry said Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd (MKLSB) has been operating the tower without government authorisation.
This follows two eviction notices issued to MKLSB by the federal lands commissioner dated April 3 and 9.
“In the interest of visitor safety and comfort, and to allow the new management (LSH Service Master Sdn Bhd) to carry out maintenance and improvement works, the KL Tower will be temporarily closed,” the ministry said.
It added that the reopening date of the tower would be announced in due course.
LSH Service Master was supposed to take over the management of the KL Tower on April 1, but a stand-off occurred after MKLSB and its parent company, Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd, initiated a lawsuit against the award of the concession, alleging contractual breaches and misconduct.
Previously, the communications ministry said that MKLSB’s management contract had expired on March 31, and that LSH Service Master, which is controlled by Lim Seong Hai Capital Bhd, was awarded a 20-year concession in May 2024.
MKLSB and Hydroshoppe are seeking RM20.13 million in losses and damages, as well as the transfer of the concession back to them.
They have also refused to vacate the premises and continue to operate the tower.
LSH Service Master subsequently lodged a police report on April 1 after they were barred from entering the premises.
Its CEO, Khairil Faizal Othman was reported to have said that they faced financial losses for each day the company was unable to take over the operations of the KL Tower, but declined to divulge the amount.
The ministry today stressed that the continued occupation of the skyscraper by MKLSB after March 31 is deemed unlawful. - FMT

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