The human hands that keep this iconic clock ticking

For 129 years, the clock at the Sultan Abdul Samad Building has kept time over the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

More than a timepiece, it has become a familiar witness to the city’s history, its chimes accompanying generations of Malaysians through moments both ordinary and momentous.

Today, the task of keeping it running falls to three men who continue the work of custodians before them.

Muhammad Kamarul Azman, L Kumarasamy and Roshdihisham Hassan, from the survey and mapping department, check, clean, wind and lubricate the century-old mechanism throughout the year.

“Every evening after office hours, we come here to wind the clock and make sure the time is accurate,” Kamarul told FMT.

Inside the narrow, sweltering tower, the trio take turns working the giant weights that keep the Gillett & Johnston clock ticking.

The task requires patience. According to Kamarul, the crank cannot be turned too quickly, as doing so could disrupt the pulley system. “That is why we rely on our own physical strength,” he said.

Their responsibility does not always end when the day’s checks are done. On one occasion, Kamarul had already returned home when a call came through informing him that the clock had stopped.

“I had already reached home when the building management called. So we had to come back at midnight to inspect it,” he recalled.

Their work takes on added meaning on the eve of Merdeka celebrations, when the clock becomes part of a national moment.

As crowds gather outside and the countdown begins, Kamarul, Kumarasamy and Roshdihisham stay inside the tower, watching closely to make sure the clock reaches midnight precisely as it should.

“At midnight, we really feel nervous. When we hear the people outside counting down, we feel proud from inside the tower,” Kamarul said.

It is a moment that turns an otherwise unseen job into something deeply personal: while thousands celebrate below, the men inside know the clock’s familiar chime depends, in part, on their hands.

Learning from those before them

For Kamarul, the role began almost by chance. When a senior colleague introduced him to the clock, seeing its century-old machinery at work sparked a fascination he had not expected.

“When you watch all the gears and machinery moving, you become very interested in learning how it all works. That is what has kept us here until today.”

There was no handbook to guide them; instead, much of what they know was learnt through experience and from those who cared for the clock before them.

And this knowledge matters because keeping the mechanism alive is not as simple as replacing a broken part.

“If any component is damaged, a replacement has to be specially made according to the original specifications because the parts are no longer available on the market,” Kamarul noted.

And so, year after year, the clock in this iconic building continues to tick – not only because of the machinery inside it, but because of the people who keep watch over it.

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