Lau (seated fifth left), and his son Kevin (seated sixth left) posing with their CNY visitors from the See Hua Group.
SIBU: Sarawak Private Secondary Schools Charitable Trust will have a final round of discussion with the Land and Survey Department on a suitable piece of land before making a specific proposal to the Chief Minister.
Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau Lee Ming, who heads the Charitable Trust, said they are looking into a few options.
“Because we found that the original land previously allocated to the 14 Chinese independent schools in Sarawak is very far away – close to the Indonesian border.
“We’ve found it not suitable as it would not have immediate economic value. When the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem was the chief minister, we talked to him and requested to exchange another piece of land where we can immediately develop and generate incomes (for the 14 Chinese independent schools),” he recalled.
Lau, who is also the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) chairman, was speaking yesterday when receiving CNY visitors from the See Hua Group today.
He added: “Since then, we have been talking to the Land and Survey Department. Actually, Dato Richard Wee was talking to the Land and Survey Department to see if we can find an alternative piece of land.
“We’ve a few options, but the Chief Minister is the one who will make the final decision. Hopefully, we can get the Chief Minister to make his decision within the next two months or so.”
Recently, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state government had identified a suitable piece of land that could generate sustainable incomes for the management of the 14 private Chinese secondary schools in Sarawak.
The Chief Minister has expected the land to be finalised after the Chinese New Year.
Asked on the size of the land, Lau, who is Sarawak United Association of Private Chinese School Management Board president, said it depends on the type of land – agricultural or commercial.
He said if they were given agricultural land, they might turn it into an oil palm plantation. “If it is an agricultural land it will be larger but farther away.
“Commercial land will be smaller but nearer,” he said, expecting more lucrative returns from the commercial one.
“We’re expecting an agricultural land of about a few thousand hectares or a commercial land of about 500 acres,” Lau said.