GEORGE TOWN: The land being used by a secondary school in Butterworth is "on loan" from the state until further notice, says Chow Kon Yeow.
The Chief Minister said the state executive council had approved Chung Ling Butterworth High School's application to use a plot of land in Taman Teratai Indah in Butterworth.
"The 0.358ha land is currently being used by the school to house a basketball court, parking lot and assembly area.
"The land still belongs to the state and does not belong to any private individual or organisation.
"The approval for the school to use the land was granted earlier today by the state exco," he said at a press conference held at his office in Komtar on Wednesday (Nov 12).
Chow said the approval allowed Chung Ling the right to use the land but not to own it.
"There are conditions to this approval, which include the school having to submit a building plan for a covered basketball court to the Seberang Perai City Council to legalise the existing structure.
"Residents must be allowed to continue using part of the area for parking.
"No new structure may be built on the land without prior approva,l and the land must be surrendered to the state government at any time upon request, without compensation," he said.
Chow said this decision ensured that the land continued to serve the community’s recreational and educational needs.
"To clear any misconceptions, the land was handed over to the state for free from a private developer in December 2005, to be used as an empty space by the community.
"Based on our records, part of the land (0.078ha) was approved to be used by the Taman Lucky village community management council (MPKK) in 2019.
"They (MPKK) were charged a nominal sum of RM10 with conditions which included that the state government could at any time end the approval and take the land to be used for other purposes without compensation," he said.
Chow said the construction of a covered basketball court on part of the land in 2017 by a former parents-teachers association chairman for RM500,000, was carried out without formal approval or authorisation from the state government or local authority.
"The basketball court was built without obtaining any approvals, as no plans were signed.
"The school only submitted an application for permission to use the entire plot of land on August 12 this year for the purpose of a basketball court, parking lot and assembly area.
"Constructing a covered basketball court on the land does not mean ownership or management rights to any party," he said.
