The government has changed its mind following outrage over its decision to not extend the land lease of the 122-year-old SMK Convent Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur.
In a statement today, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the lease has now been extended by 60 years.
The educational institution’s existing lease was scheduled to expire on Sept 6 this year.
“After scrutinising and taking into account the important contributions of SMK Convent Bukit Nanas to the country’s education since 1899, the government has agreed that the lease period for SMK Convent Bukit Nanas - which is located at Section 49, Jalan Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur - will be extended for a period of 60 years,” the PMO stated.
It stressed that the lease extension was on condition that the land was used for “educational purposes only”.
The PMO said Chief Secretary Zuki Ali, Federal Territories Lands and Mines Office director Muhammad Yasir, and the school’s representative Theresa Chua have met and all parties agreed with the resolution.
“With this decision, we hope SMK Convent Bukit Nanas will continue to achieve success as a 'cluster of excellence school' in producing high-quality model citizens,” it added.
Established as a mission school in 1899, SMK Convent Bukit Nanas moved to its current site in 1909.
High-profile alumni such as former minister Rafidah Aziz previously urged Putrajaya to preserve the school, stressing its historical significance. She had called for the school to be given permanent tenure of its land.
Other well-known alumni include Bank Negara governor Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus, actress Adibah Noor, and lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan.
National heritage NGO Badan Warisan Malaysia previously said losing the school would be a tragic loss to the country and urged the government to gazette it as a heritage site. More than 36,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the school to be maintained at its present site.
In December 2020, SMK Convent Bukit Nanas was told by the Lands and Mines Office that its land lease would not be renewed once it expires this year.
The institution then challenged the department’s decision in court with a judicial review.
Yesterday, Muhammad reportedly assured that the school would not be demolished once its lease expires.
He also proposed that the school be converted from its partially-aided status to a fully-aided government school. - Mkini
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