'People may say I am senile' Dr M decries new glass building in Putrajaya

A new glass building in Putrajaya is sticking out like a sore thumb for the man who was instrumental behind the creation of the new administrative capital, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Writing in his blog today, the former prime minister said the building, which he chose not to name, had no features which could blend in with the city's overall architecture, chief of which is the brown colour of the buildings.

"It looks like match boxes stacked on each other. It would be fantastic for New York but it is not Putrajaya. It is not very Malaysian or Islamic. It is in fact entirely out of place," said Mahathir.

Saying every city had its unique architectural feature, Mahathir said in Malaysia, the "Malaysian roofs" set local buildings apart.

"They are actually utilitarian. We had flat roofs before. But somehow rain water manage not only to form puddles which refuse to evaporate, but often they find some cracks in the cemented roof to leak into the room below," he added.

"Please Putrajaya Holdings, please keep the uniqueness of Putrajaya’s architecture," he pleaded.

Mahathir's serious architectural appraisal of the city he controversially built was however briefly destracted by a mild counter attack on a member of parliament who called him 'senile' over a remark by him that a vote for the opposition was a vote for American billionaire currency speculator George Soros.

"Of course this is only my opinion. Others might think that it is a tribute to Malaysia’s modernity. I have no right to think that my opinion counts nowadays. People may say I am senile and 'nyanyok'. But still I am entitled to my views," said the 87-year old.

-Harakahdaily