Convent Bukit Nanas withdraws judicial review bid after govt renews land lease

KUALA LUMPUR: SMK Convent Bukit Nanas (CBN) has withdrawn its legal bid for a judicial review over the school's land lease following the government's decision to renew the lease for the next 60 years.

Lawyer Damien Chan, who is part of the team representing the school, told the press that they have received the official letter from the government regarding the lease extension.

"Accordingly, we have filed a notice of discontinuance with regard to the proceeding in court," he said when contacted on Thursday (June 3).

Lawyer Ian Hannibal appeared for the school while Senior Federal Counsel M. Kogilambigai appeared for the respondent, the Federal Territories Lands and Mines director, during a case management before senior deputy registrar Nur Aslamiah Jamil via online proceedings on Thursday.

The official letter on the lease extension, sighted by The Star, was dated May 31 and signed by the Federal Territories Land and Mines director Datuk Muhammad Yasir Yahya.

On April 19, the school was granted leave by the High Court here to initiate a judicial review proceeding against the non-renewal of its land lease which was due to expire on Sept 6.

The school, through Messrs Kevin & Co, filed the leave for judicial review application on April 7 and named the Federal Territories Lands and Mines director as the sole respondent.

The application was filed on behalf of the Lady Superior of the Society of Saint Maur, which is the corporate entity operating CBN.

The school had reportedly written to the Land Office on Oct 4,2017, to seek an extension of the land lease but received a reply on Jan 8 this year via a letter dated Dec 18,2020, that it would not be renewed.

The all-girls school, established in 1899 by nuns of the Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus – an institute dedicated to the education and training of underprivileged children and the betterment of their lives – is located along Jalan Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of the oldest schools in Malaysia.