The complex, known as "The Mall" at that time, was built by Metroplex Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (MHSB) and opened on 12 June 1987 by Mahathir bin Mohamad, the fourth prime minister at the time (which is now current), who personally buried a time capsule that will be unearthed after a century, in 2087. The capsule contains a message written by Mahathir and is addressed to the citizens of the future. At the time, The Mall was the largest shopping centre in Malaysia and was built to attract more shoppers from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. It was built at a cost of RM289 million and it was launched by a light show. The complex once had Malaysia's first Yaohan store which operated from the mall's opening in 1987 until 1997 before its bankruptcy in Japan.