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Merdeka 118, formerly known as PNB118, is one of the latest luxury skyscrapers towering over Kuala Lumpur.
The 118-storey building houses offices, a shopping mall or retail floors, and the luxury hotel Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Merdeka 118 now stands as the second tallest building in the world, only behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE.
However, eagle-eyed sightseers have spotted what they labelled as an ‘’unwelcomed’’ addition to the luxury tower. Some people on Threads have started lamenting about the word “Maybank” emblazoned at the top of Merdeka 118.
Some Thread users didn’t like seeing the Maybank signage because they feel it doesn’t reflect the meaning of Merdeka 118 tower.
The Merdeka 118 tower was made to resemble Tunku Abdul Rahman outstretching his hand while chanting ‘’Merdeka’’ on 31 August 1957 at Stadium Merdeka.
They’re worried that people will soon remember Merdeka 118 as Maybank Tower instead of its original name.
A user pointed out how Petronas didn’t put its name on the Twin Towers (KLCC) despite owning the building. Most agreed that Merdeka 118 will look neater without the Maybank signage.
Meanwhile, another person joked that visitors will lose their holiday mood when they see the Maybank logo while checking in at the hotel in the building.
There are also some who don’t see much of an issue with the signage. However, they think a Maybank logo would work better.
That said, it’s not really a big issue, especially for a Threads user who claimed he didn’t notice the large signage despite working in the building daily.
Why did Maybank put its name on Merdeka 118?
Maybank is now the anchor tenant at Merdeka 118 and this designation means that the major bank has been given naming and signage rights.
According to a statement by Maybank, it will now occupy 33 floors and is expected to house some 5,900 employees in Merdeka 118.
All existing offices within Menara Maybank will relocate to the new building in stages starting the second quarter of 2026.
The KL main branch in Menara Maybank will remain and will not impact customers who have accounts in this branch.
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