80-year-old former KL mayor dreams of building township for the lower-income group

Elyas says Petronas Twin Towers was built when he was the mayor of Kuala Lumpur. He is now a director of a development company that builds affordable homes. — GRACE CHEN/The Star

PLAYING golf – that is what former Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Elyas Omar confessed doing after retiring from public office at the age of 57.

“For 11 years, I worked 14-hour days, seven days a week, without leave. My weekends were spent with the people, officiating at their events. Such were the responsibilities of a public servant,” said Elyas.