FORMER Business Times editor Datuk Hardev Kaur arguably has the distinction of being the only media person to have interviewed the reclusive T. Ananda Krishnan, who passed away on Thursday. We reproduce another article from the interview, first published on Jan 5 1996, where Krishnan explained his push for the Petronas Twin Towers to be built.
BESIDES telling Malaysia's story from a Malaysian perspective, entrepreneur and developer Mr T. Ananda Krishnan is also bent on ensuring that Malaysia's name is clearly etched in the annals of world achievements in more ways than one.
He is set to put Malaysia's first satellite into orbit in a few days and work has been going on at a feverish pace in the heart of Kuala Lumpur to build the world's tallest building, which is also one of the largest real estate developments in the world.
It took two and half years to plan the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) twin-towers project.
Located at the former Selangor Turf Club site, it will be the city's premier office complex and, as Krishnan says, it will be "as good as new even 20 years and beyond after its opening."
Apart from a modern convention centre, the complex will also have 20ha of landscaped green sanctuary - right in the middle of the city - with walkways, an artificial stream and ponds, which will put it among the most beautiful commerical properites in the world.
It will in fact be a city within a city. Except that the facilities and amenities that are included in the complex will be among the best in the world, and all at one location.
It is envisioned as a place to live, work, visit, relax and play.In fact, it will be a botanical showcase.
About 200 mature trees that were part of the original landscape has been "rescued" from the chain saw and temporarily relocated to a holding area pending replanting at the park.
About 502,000 sq metres of commerical space, 139,400 sq metres of retail space and 79,000 sq metres of hotel and parking facilities will make up the first phase of the mega development.
In his modest office in Kuala Lumpur, which is dwarfed by the rising twin-towers, Krishnan says the maintenance of the building will be one of the top priorities.
Efforts will be made to ensure that the towers do not start deteriorating on completion.
In most cases, the maintenance of Malaysian buildings is not up to mark and leaves much to be desired. On occasion, washrooms and toilets of some brand new buildings would already be in a mess even before or during the official opening.
Despite reports that there would be an over-supply of commercial space in the city in a few years, the developers of KLCC express confidence that the counry's premier property will not be affected.
Krishnan agrees that the market may dip but believes that the twin- towers will continue to attract "attention".
Planning for the towers, as with his other projects, is meticulous with nothing left to chance.Indeed most of the office space has already been let out, long before the the complex is built.
The twin-towers will account for about 70 per cent of the total office space that will come onto the market this year.
Dass and Mohamad in their report on Kuala Lumpur office space situation for the 1995-1998 period point out that of the 3.5 million sq ft of space in the project, it is likely that the Petronas Tower (1.5 million sq ft) and the Esso Tower (500,000 sq ft) will not be available to the letting market. This means that only 1.5 million sq ft of one tower will be on the market, and even then only to selected tenants.
The philosophy for the complex and its planning is based on "have tenant will build", thus there is no worry about having no tenants.
At 450 metres, the twin-towers are 6.4 metres higher than Sears Towers in Chicago. Each tower is built by a different contractor.
The first is by a Japanese-US-Malaysian consortium comprising Hazama Corp and Mitsubishi Corp of Japan; J.A. Jones Construction Co of the US; and MMC Engineering Services and Ho Hup Construction Co of Malaysia.
The second tower is being constructed by a South Korean-Malaysian consortium comprising Samsung Engineering and Construction Co and Kuk Dong Engineering and Construction of South Korea and Malaysia's Syarikat Jasatera.
This consortium also built the skybridge which links the two towers at the 41st and 42nd floors, 170 metres above street level.
Asked why there was a need for two different groups to build the two towers. Krishnan had said the project was too huge for one developer. He added that he was persuaded that the way work is organised it would not matter if there are two groups at the site as long as the foundation was done by one group. This clears the turf for the two groups to work independently.
"It is working very well as the two groups are competing with one another in trying to do their best."
Nevertheless the specifications for the KLCC, almost 99 per cent, have been written down and the main object is to keep the contractors to the specifications. Once the specifications were determined it did not matter whether there was one or two different contractors doing the job.
As it turns out, work is progressing very well with the two contractors averaging one floor every four days. "Basically the developers have all the details and are getting on with the job. There is no coming back to talk to us," he says. In addition, having two contractors also means that more foreign expertise and technology can be transferred to local companies.
On allegations that he obtained the 39ha piece of land in the heart of Kuala Lumpur for a song, Krishnan says the figures are huge. In fact the premium for conversion of commercial use "is the biggest levelled on anyone in this town."
When the mammoth project was launched in 1991, Krishnan said: "Some of my friends say I am wasting my money on this project but I can say no one has put in that kind of investment just to get the masterplan ready. We are going ahead with the geological tests."
Criticism of the project has not perturbed him. He stresses that what is important is to do your planning.
"You got to do your thinking. You got to listen to other people, you got to listen to criticism.