KUALA LUMPUR: Once the nerve centre of the country’s postal service, the Pejabat Pos Besar Lama at Dataran Merdeka reopened to the public on May 23 – this time as a heritage-driven dining and cultural spot that uses its food, spaces and stories to trace Malaysia’s journey.
The building, also known as Block 2 of the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad (BSAS) complex, is the third major heritage restoration delivered by Khazanah Nasional Bhd under its Dana Warisan initiative, after Seri Negara and BSAS Block 1.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh visited the site in conjunction with its opening, accompanied by Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud and Khazanah managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir.
Amirul Feisal said the reopening was part of efforts to turn Kuala Lumpur into a place that weaves together heritage, culture and economic activity.
“By activating heritage assets, we are creating more reasons for Malaysians and tourists alike to stay, spend and engage – while supporting local businesses, strengthening Malaysia’s cultural identity and contributing to broader economic activity,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
Nestled in Malaysia’s food heritage, the restored Pejabat Pos Besar Lama now houses a curated mix of eight locally rooted brands.
The offerings are built around “Malaysia’s Breakfast Culture”, which was added to the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.
Hilme Hassan, chief executive officer of Aset Warisan, which led the project, said the team always knew it had to go beyond restoring the “hardware” of the building.
“Beyond architectural conservation and heritage preservation, we needed to figure out what was going to go in. That’s where we decided to celebrate our living culture, our traditions and our collective identity,” he added.
Designed in 1902 by Arthur Benison Hubback, the building opened in July 1907 as Kuala Lumpur’s main General Post Office.
Pejabat Pos Besar Lama is open daily from 10am to 10pm.
Enjoyable activity: (From left) Visitors LuYi Yap, Minn Yap and Farah Aziz trying the ink stamp at the official opening ceremony for the completion of the restoration of Pejabat Pos Besar Lama, Kuala Lumpur. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
