Dr Sim (centre) witnesses as Chua (left) presents the letter of appointment to Fook Seng contractor. Also seen is Catholic Archbishop Simon Poh.
KUCHING: The Mill Hill Block at SMK St Joseph here will undergo extensive restoration costing RM5.5 million over a period of seven and half months to restore the buildings to its former glory.
Upon completion, nine classrooms will be restored, the school office and staff rooms for staff and teachers will be upgraded with the addition of a new exhibition hall and lecture room to hold events as part of school learning experience.
The School Board of Management had raised RM2.5 million through fundraising activities with Old Josephians’ Association and RM1.5 million grant from the Sarawak government.
With a shortfall of RM3 million, the school board is appealing to all ex-Josephians to help meet the amount required within this period.
The Mill Hill Block which housed the De La Salle Brothers is iconic not only to St Joseph’s School but also to the history of Sarawak as it was gazetted as a Heritage Building in 2010 by the state Government under Sarawak Cultural Heritage Ordinance 1993.
The three-storey Mill Hill Block comprises the main building in the centre with two wings. The main building was declared opened in 1894 by Rajah Charles Brooke, the Second White Rajah of Sarawak.
The January 1895 issue of the Sarawak Gazette described the new St Joseph’s building as “the largest private work carried out in 1894 and indeed the largest building in Kuching”.
In 1927, the two 3-storey wings were added.
The century old main building which has withstood the test of time needs repairs while the two wings which had significantly deteriorated were certified by Public Works Department (JKR) as unsafe for occupation.
With the closure of the two wings, the school lost the use of 12 classrooms.
Local Government and Housing minister and current president of the Old Josephians’ Association Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian witnessed the handover of the site by St Joseph’s School Board of Management acting chairman Christopher Chua to the appointed contractor Fook Seng Construction on Friday.
Donations can be deposited to “SJS Mill Hill Block Restoration” (Maybank 511113526004). For receipts, kindly email donation deposit slip to [email protected].