Millennium Monument, Putrajaya

The Millenium Monument, or Monumen Alaf Baru is a folly built on the lakeside of Precinct 2, Putrajaya. Putrajaya became the administrative capital of Malaysia in 1999, under the tenure of Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The entire city was the brainchild of Mahathir, and to commemorate its founding, Mahathir built two major monuments, the first is the Putrajaya Landmark (Mercutanda Putrajaya) built at Precinct 1; and this one - the Millenium Monument in Precinct 2.

The Millenium Monument was inspired by the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., United States of America. However where the Washington Monument is an obelisk, the Millenium Monument is a circular column that ends in a point and stands 68 metres tall.

The Millenium Monument

The Millenium Monument is built on a raised platform overlooking the man-made Putrajaya Lake. A ramp spirals up from the ground level to the platform above, and access to the top is by this ramp. A glass parapet runs up alongside the ramp all the way to the top, which is etched with important dates in the nations history, starting with the Founding of the Melaka Sultanate in the year 1400.

The ramp upwards starts at year 1400 with the founding of Melaka.

The etchings on the glass parapet walls are divided into 3 sections; the pre-Independence years before 1957; post independence between 1957 to 1970 and modern Malaysia (1971-2000). The monument itself represents the future.

The ramp continues through significant events in Malaysia's history throughout the years.

1994, the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers.

You can wander slowly up the ramp, and read the various inscriptions to get a taste of Malaysia's history. At the foot of the actual monument, the inscription ends at the Year 2000, with the final panel dedicated to Mahathir's vision for Malaysia to achieve Developed Nation status by the year 2020.

At the top, the platform gives great views of Putrajaya.

The historical dates stop at Year 2000.

At the pinnacle stands the monument.

The monument itself is a round column which tapers up from the top of the platform, and points upwards to the sky. Engraved with decorative motifs, it is also inscribed with the Rukun Negara, the five guiding principles that the country aspires to achieve.

Engraved with the Rukun Negara.

The five guiding principles of the Rukun Negara are:

1) Belief in God
2) Loyalty to King and Country
3) The Supremacy of the Constitution
4) The Rule of Law
5) Courtesy and Morality

In Malay, the inscriptions are as follows:

1) Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan
2) Kesetian pada Raja dan Negara
3) Keluhuran Perlembagaan
4) Kedaulatan Undang Undang
5) Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan

A column pointing to the sky.

Once you have taken in the Monument, take a look at the views from the top of the platform. Besides a view of the Lake, you will also see the Iron Mosque (or its proper name the Masjid Tuanku Mizan), a modern mosque sitting on the lake edge, with the Seri Saujana bridge in the background.

View to the Putrajaya Lake Promenade and the Iron Mosque beyond.

Looking at the other end of the lake, the stunning Seri Wawasan bridge, an asymmetrical cable-stayed box girder bridge with an inverted Y-shaped pylon with 30 pairs of cable stays dominates the foreground; with the pink Putra Mosque and the Prime Minister's Office in the background.

On the other side, a view of the Seri Wawasan bridge and the pink Putra Mosque beyond.

The Iron Mosque at sunset.

Sunset over Putrajaya lake.

Map of the area.

The best time to visit the Monument is at dusk, when the temperature is cooler, and the setting sun gives the entire area a golden hue. Entrance is free.

Millenium Monument

Address: Lebuh Ehsan, Presint 2, 62100 Putrajaya, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya.