Oh, this is an excellent thread - thank you Deer!

Just read in Malaysian newspaper - www.thesundaily.com - that government owners of Carcosa Seri Negara (ex Aman, ex GHM) aim to create 'a six star hotel', so are looking for a new operator. GHM is chopped liver?

Carcosa to become six-star hotel
Husna Yusop

Carcosa Seri Negara, a hallmark of Malaysia's national heritage.
PUTRAJAYA (Dec 29, 2009) : Carcosa Seri Negara will not be closed as speculated from Jan 1 but will be upgraded into a six-star hotel.

An official of the Prime Minister's Department told theSun the contract for the current operator running the hotel expires on Dec 31 but the cabinet recently approved a six-month extension until June 2010.

At the same time, he said, the Property and Land Management Division of the PM’s Department has issued a tender to upgrade the hotel.

"It now has 23 rooms and we are looking at increasing it to 80 or 100 rooms. A few companies have submitted their proposals," the official said.

He said the six-month extension was given in order to finalise the contract and once it has been upgraded, it will have a new operator.

"The selected contractor will be working with the new operator. We need a new operator because it will be a six-star hotel," the official said.

He added that they are looking at potential international operators because local operators would not be capable of managing a six-star hotel.

"We will retain its historical and heritage values. We will not tamper with these elements. However, there may be some adjustments and upgrading in terms of its interior design."

He was commenting on an AFP report today that Carcosa Seri Negara, the 111-year-old grande dame of colonial Malaya, is up for redevelopment and will close its doors on Dec 31.

"We were told by the government it is giving a tender to a company that is interested in redeveloping this site; so we don’t know what its going to be," said hotel manager Caroline Filtzinger.

Run by the GHM group of luxury hotels since 2004, the management was informed of the government’s decision in October by the Economic Planning Unit, which handles the property.

Carcosa Seri Negara occupies 16.19 hectares near Taman Tasik Perdana. Construction started in 1896 under the first resident-general, or chief British adviser to the then Federated Malay States, Sir Frank Swettenham. It was completed in 1898.

Carcosa was occupied by top British civil servants and in 1913 the government built the King’s House on the property, as a guesthouse for the governor of the Straits Settlements who resided in Singapore.

On Jan 21, 1948, representatives of the Malay sultans and the British government created the Federation of Malaya, giving the country limited autonomy.

On Sept 12, 1956, Tunku Abdul Rahman presented the deeds of Carcosa to the British government as a gift.

On the lawns of the King’s House on Aug 5, 1957, just before independence was declared, the Malay Sultans along with Malaya’s last colonial administrator Sir Donald MacGillivray signed into creation the new nation.

King’s House was later returned to Malaysia and renamed "Seri Negara".

Carcosa was occupied by a succession of British high commissioners.