Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Photo by Fadzil Hisham The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is a late 19th century building located along Jalan Raja in front of the Merdeka Square and the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The building originally housed the offices of the British colonial administration, and was known simply as Government Offices in its early years. In 1974 it was renamed after Sultan Abdul Samad, the reigning sultan of Selangor at the time when construction began. The Merdeka (Independence) Square is located exactly opposite the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. This is the historical place where the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag was raised for the very first time at the struck of midnight of 31st August 1957. From then on, Merdeka Square has been the venue for the annual Merdeka Parade. Surrounding the square are many buildings of historical interest. The Royal Selangor Club which was first founded in 1884, the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, St. Mary's Anglican Cathedral a