Historic Convent Bukit Nanas should be declared a national heritage site, not demolished

Historic site: A file photo from 2014 showing part of Convent Bukit Nanas's interesting architectural features.

The news that Convent Bukit Nanas has not been granted an extension of its land lease by the Federal Territories Lands and Mines Department was met with horror and disgust by many of us. That was followed by the thought, “Lease? Shouldn’t it have been gazetted a long time ago, along with the Victoria Institute, as a heritage site?”

Convent Bukit Nanas, fondly known as CBN, was established in Kuala Lumpur in 1899. It was founded just five years after the Victoria Institution and is one of the oldest schools in the country.