Malaysia investigates Russian daredevils who trespassed onto Merdeka 118
Malaysian authorities are investigating a Russian ‘daredevil’ couple for trespassing after videos of them standing on top of the second tallest building in the world, the unfinished Merdeka 118 tower in Kuala Lumpur, went viral.
On Saturday, Malaysia‘s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said there are no records of the Russian couple entering or exiting Malaysia.
On December 28, Malaysian police revealed that they were investigating Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau of Russian nationality after they posted videos on social media on top of the Merdeka 118 – a live construction site which is 95% complete.
The Merdeka Tower 118’s construction is set to reach completion in mid-2023. It is the tallest building in Southeast Asia and the second tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Beerkus and Nikolau are known for their dangerous climbing stunts and have scaled skyscrapers all over the world.
The skyscraper’s developer PNB Merdeka Ventures said they will support the police with their investigation fully…
“As private property, any trespassers will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
The couple is believed to have accessed the tower’s stairs to get to the top where they took pictures and videos with a drone.
However, the video’s authenticity has been brought into question since there is no record of the couple ever entering or leaving the country. A spokesperson for Malaysia’s Immigration Department said…
“Checks revealed that both suspects are not inside the country, and investigations found that there were no records of them entering or leaving in the Immigration Department System.”
Did the couple enter Malaysia illegally, or is the video fake?
Kuala Lumpur Deputy Police Chief Yahaya Othman said…
“Based on our initial investigations, PNB’s management said their strict controls throughout the tower’s area would make it difficult for anyone to enter and climb the tower.”
On Instagram, Ivan Beerkus wrote…
“The top of Medeka 118 (679m/2,227 feet). It’s the second tallest building in the world!
“I can’t describe my emotions. The most beautiful building where I have ever been.”
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