Inside the grand opening ceremony of the historic building in London, officiated by the King and Queen of Malaysia
Ten years in the making, the iconic Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station in South London—painstakingly and expertly restored under the custodianship of its shareholders, Sime Darby Property, S P Setia, and the Employee’s Provident Fund (EPF)—is finally opening its doors to the public on October 14, 2022.
Ahead of this launch, a spectacular opening ceremony was held to commemorate the historic reopening of this building, attended by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
His Majesty was accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, as well as High Commissioner of Malaysia Datuk Zakri Jaafar, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) group chairman Tun Arifin Zakaria, and finance minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
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Distinguished guests were given an exclusive look of the new retail and leisure destination at night, brought to life with elaborate, vibrant lights. The evening began with the arrival of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong, who were welcomed with a beautiful performance by the Battersea Power Station Community Choir.
Speeches by Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn, president and group chief executive officer of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company and senior independent non-executive director of Sime Darby Property Dato' Jaganath Derek Steven Sabapathy, and Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) chief executive Simon Murphy gave insights into the ambitious project—dubbed by the media as 'Everest of property' for the many failed attempts by other developers in the past to revive the building—and its long journey of restoration since the building, decommissioned and derelict since the 1980s, was acquired by Malaysian shareholders in 2012.
The reopening of Battersea Power Station is a symbol of the UK and Malaysia's longstanding relationship and shared values of community and progress. Thus, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was invited to officially turn the lights back on in Turbine Hall A and restore the Battersea Power Station to its former glory. He also unveiled a plaque to commemorate the visit.
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The ceremony ended with a fantastic performance that celebrated the Battersea Power Station's illustrious past, as the backdrop for iconic pop culture moments such as Superman III (1983), The Dark Knight (2008), and the Beatles' Help music video. A highlight for proud Malaysians in the crowd was the powerful dikir barat performance of Wau Bulan accompanied by the familiar percussive sounds of Chinese tanggu, Sikh dhol drums, and Indian tabla, as well as the Battersea Power Station Community Choir's striking vocals.
Take a look at below.