City Tower, Seberang Perai Explained

City Tower
Native Name Lang:MS
Former Names:MPSP Tower
MBSP Tower
Address:Jalan Perda Utama, 14000 Bukit Tengah, Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia
Location Town:Seberang Perai, Penang
Location Country:Malaysia
Coordinates:5.3707°N 100.4329°W
Start Date:2002[1]
Completion Date:2005
Opened Date:2006
Owner:Seberang Perai City Council
Floor Area:290000m2
Top Floor:16
Floor Count:16
Height:90.5m (296.9feet)
Grounds Area:10acres

The City Tower, formerly known as MBSP Tower, is the local government headquarters of Seberang Perai within the Malaysian state of Penang. Completed in 2005, it serves as the seat of the Seberang Perai City Council ().

History

Prior to the construction of the building, the headquarters of the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) was a five-storey building at Butterworth. As the local government expanded its workforce and responsibilities, the existing office space became insufficient.[2]

In 2001, the city council acquired the present-day 10acres site at Bandar Perda from the Penang Regional Development Authority (PERDA) for RM13.5 million. Construction of the new 16-storey headquarters began in 2002 and was completed by 2005. The city council relocated to the new premises in the following year. The building was renamed City Tower in 2019, following Seberang Perai's ascension to city status that year.

The construction of the tower was mired in controversy. Between 2000 and 2007, MBSP's reserves shrank by RM230 million.[3] [4] While the official cost of the tower was RM53 million, allegations arose that MBSP spent RM85 million on the new headquarters. Cost overruns also compelled the developer, associated with the then-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, to scale down construction to the present-day building. After Pakatan Rakyat (now Pakatan Harapan) gained control of the state in 2008, newly elected Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng initiated investigations into the alleged misappropriation by the local government, which reportedly led to a loss of development funds for the municipality.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Yaacob . Zainulfaqar . 25 Sep 2019 . Kompleks pentadbiran MBSP kini dinamakan ‘Menara Bandaraya’ . 25 Oct 2024 . Buletin Mutiara . ms.
  2. News: Yeng . Ai Chun . 22 Nov 2008 . Former MPSP building up for sale . 25 Oct 2024 . The Star.
  3. Caroline . Jim . Jan 2015 . Good governance and government sector performance at Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai . Universiti Utara Malaysia.
  4. News: 3 Dec 2008 . Developer ready to face probe . 8 Feb 2024 . New Straits Times.