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A group of Americans who broke into and climbed the Merdeka 118, the world’s second tallest building located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, have reportedly been arrested and charged.
Army veteran turned urban explorer Isaac Wright uploaded a video of their ascent to his YouTube channel on December 30, 2022.
Although the daredevil did not elaborate much on the details of their climb, including especially the date it took place, statement published of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) Merdeka Ventures on Tuesday revealed that the break-in and illegal climbing took place on May 1, 2022.
According to the statement, Wright and his group were reportedly arrested and charged under Section 457 of the Penal Code of Malaysia on the same day they made their climb.
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The company announced that it would continue to upgrade the security of the Merdeka 118 and explained that security remains its top priority as the building, which stands at 679 meters (about 2,228 feet) tall, is still a “living construction site.” Construction of the Merdeka 118. is expected to be completed in mid-2023.
We want to reiterate that stunts like these are illegal and dangerous, and put the safety of the criminals and the hardworking staff on site at risk. As such, it is very disconcerting that illegal actions that take place on our property are being used for illegal commercial gain and popularity.
The video shows Wright and three other men with their faces blurred entering the construction site to break into Merdeka 118 wearing construction worker-like vests.
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After walking carefully – and silently – through various rooms and up a flight of stairs, the group eventually reaches another flight of stairs blocked by what appears to be a locked gate and a large length of cloth covering the entirety of the handrails.
Despite the obvious signs that they shouldn’t be there, Wright and his group still decide to break a small gap in the fabric for them to squeeze through.
On reaching the top, the men were met by thunder and lightning, but that did not stop them.
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It’s unclear how long the group stayed on top of the building, but the video shows they were still up there even after sunrise.
“The journey has been long and hard and full of challenges,” Wright wrote in the caption of his YouTube post. “Some trials have already ended in prison time for certain individuals, so we knew we were up against heavy odds.
“The trip ended successfully and its [sic] gift to end the year by showing the footage. This video is an artistic expression of freedom made in and out of love, I do not encourage anyone to recreate the actions shown in this video.”
Wright had already made headlines in the US a few years before his Merdeka 118 break-in.
Wright, an honorably retired Army veteran who served as a paratrooper in an Army Special Forces battalionreceived six felony charges against him for illegally entering the Great American Tower at Queen City Square in Cincinnati in exchange for entering a treatment program in November 2021 as part of a plea agreement.
He has since been linked to other similar events through his online brand Driftershoots. Some of his posts include photos taken on skyscrapers and bridges across the country.
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