There’s nothing wrong with going with the times but that doesn’t mean we should forget the past. Earlier this year, Malaysians complained about modernism overshadowing the once breathtaking views of historic landmarks around Kuala Lumpur. Many were also upset about the buildings not being well-preserved in the modern era and their arguments were not at all baseless as there is evidence to support their claims.
Yesterday (Tuesday, 3rd September), a netizen who goes by @/haaziq_mz shared a photo of the old Federated Malay States (FMS) Survey office in KL. The image depicted a decaying structure of the once-thriving establishment with a caption that reads, “It’s a shame that our historic buildings are not being well-maintained”.
As seen in the photo above, the rounded structure of the FMS Survey office has turned black and is covered in various vegetation like vines and moss, further proving that nothing was done to improve the building’s poor condition. The post sparked a heated discussion among Malaysians who were all upset about the country’s lack of maintenance for historic buildings.
A few netizens argued that the government does not prioritise maintaining any existing buildings, only constructing new ones. This opinion is in line with everyone’s discontentment after learning that our capital city has more skyscrapers than the entire continent of Europe. Others were worried that the FMS Survey office’s decaying condition could lead to structure failure, which could in turn endanger the safety of pedestrians within the vicinity.
Some tagged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, KL City Hall (DBKL) and the Minister of Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa in hopes that something can be done to better preserve the iconic landmarks around the city. This is not the first time that the people have urged restoration of historic buildings.
According to a report by the New Straits Times in 2019, Conservationist Steven Thang warned that the old FMS office could collapse in 5 years or less if nothing is done soon. By the looks of it, unfortunately, it is clear that little to no maintenance has been carried out to this day. Let’s hope that none of our historic buildings will reach a point of no return.
