There are more calls questioning the wisdom of wanting to sell the 2.7 acres of prime land in Karamunsing meant for the Chinese community.

Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin urged the Sabah United Chinese Chambers of Commerce (SUCCC) to keep the land and use it for the original purpose. 

Chan said although he personally felt politicians should not involve in the SUCCC’s administration, “yet this administration had exceed its role as an association by intending to sell the land which has become a hot topic.”

“As if it was the chamber’s in-house issue, those who are out there may not involve in the discussions. Yet it has become a debate among the Chinese community.  

“Perhaps SUCCC is facing tonnes of challenges and they have decided to give it away with the simplest decision to sell it and this is only their decision,” he said, at Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School Education Fair, Saturday. 

Chan said he learnt that the prime land’s contract would end next year. 

“Why don’t we discuss this next year? I do not see the urgency to bring this issue into discussion to sell or not to sell, ever since the prime land doesn’t have any debts.”

He suggested it is best the Chamber use the land for the original purpose of building a Wisma Tiong Hua. 

“As you may see Chinese headcount has been decreasing year by year, we are currently at 8pc among other races. Things like preserving for the Chinese community, the decision should be taken seriously.”

Chan forsees in future it would be very hard for the government to issue land unconditionally to the Chinese community. 

Former SUCCC secretary Datuk Jimmy Yong Kyok Ming said, SUCCC’s direction will become “blur” if the Chamber decided to sell the land.

He said there was a piece of land in Tanjung Aru, which was the first to issued by the government. The Chamber had to surrender it for the current land in Karamunsing. 

“The chamber should discuss this issue on the table whereas the beginning idea of Wisma Tiong Hua was to preserve and facilitate for Chinese community.”

Thus, Yong praised ex-CM Yong for his contributions and sacrifices for applying the land at Karamunsing previously. 

Sabah Chinese Cultural Association (ACCA) Chairman Lewis Wong Lee Kah said SUCC should preserve the land for the Chinese Community’s development.

“The land was originally issued for the purpose for Chinese community, judging not only for SUCC’s development but also for all kinds of Chinese community’s future development. It can be invested into education too,”

He said, it was the previous SUCC committee’s will to invest in this land to develop all kinds of community projects for the Chinese community.

“Once the land is sold, it will be gone forever and it is hard to imagine what is left for the Chinese community and for their future generations.

Lewis hoped the idea of selling the land would be further discussed.

More than 75 local and overseas institutions are participating in the Education Fair. 

According to the School’s Board of Governors Chairman Datuk Jimmy Yong Kyok Ming, more than 80pc of the school’s graduates furthered their studies and hoped the participants can obtain first-hand information on tertiary education opportunities.