Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad
June 7, 2023
New Era University College Issues Cease and Desist Letter—
Demanding the Hold Back of Chinese Education Complex Construction
Blueprinted by Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad over four years, the pre-construction preparation of the Chinese Education Multi-Purpose Complex has now drawn to a close and June 24 was fixed to hold its ground-breaking ceremony. While the preparatory work was in progress, a cease-and-desist letter was issued by New Era University College on May 19, claiming Dong Zong ‘unlawfully’ encroached its land and requested Dong Zong to immediately cease and desist the said construction or face lawsuits.
Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad (The three parties) are flummoxed and puzzled as the term ‘unlawfully encroachment’ of its land is unwarranted and misleading. As such, a clarification must be forwarded to expound the entire story.
As it goes, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad co-constructed their headquarter and neighboured New Era University College back in 1994. The whole lot was the original location of Kajang Overseas Chinese School. In the middle of the last century, the construction of Kajang Overseas Chinese School was halted attributed to impediment of sorts. Eventually the lot was passed over to and co-managed by “Oversea Chinese School Property Trust” formed by eight Chinese associations in 1978. In 1988, the ownership of the said lot was transferred to Merdeka University Berhad for the sole purpose of Chinese education. The bequeathment of the lot to Merdeka University Berhad as the official owner by the “Oversea Chinese School Property Trust” had received massive media coverage back then. Now that a letter alleging Merdeka University Berhad the legal owner of the lot— planning to co-construct a Chinese Education Multi-Purpose Complex with Dong Zong and Jiao Zong—of “unlawfully encroachment” of its land from New Era University College is indeed inconceivable.
As a matter of fact, with the mere aim of continuing establishment of a higher learning institution, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad had authorised Dong Zong to full discretion in the form of tenancy agreement in 1991. In 1994, to honour the unfulfilled aspiration of Nayang University and Independence University, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad co-established “Dong Jiao Zong Non-Profit Higher Learning Centre” to bid for New Era College. And New Era College was approved incorporation and established in 1997 under the blessings of all walks of life. The following year, New Era College held its opening ceremony.
In a word, the abovementioned land grant and tenancy agreement are legally protected assuring its legal status and right of use. Therefore, Merdeka University Berhad is the owner of this lot, whereas Dong Zong is the practitioner as well as manager of the land, and the status of New Era University College is formerly the user under the ownership and management of the mentioned three parties. In this vein, the status and relationship of them is ostensibly clear, let alone reasonable and non-confusable.
What needs to be pointed out at this juncture being, since the establishment of “Dong Jiao Zong Non-Profit Higher Learning Centre” from 1994 to 2010, its regulations demand that five director members should be assigned by the three parties governing the centre respectively with a total of 15 members. Besides, 6 professional members are to be elected individual director from the plenary meeting which totals up to 21 director members. Ever since the set-up of “Dong Jiao Zong Non-Profit Higher Learning Centre”, the presidents of both Dong Zong and Jiao Zong are its immediate president and deputy president. Yet after the chaotic 2013 Dong Zong incident, Yap Sin Tian and Chow Siew Hon together with some others had for many times redrafted the regulations. They not only refused to step down from president and deputy president post returning the power to the incumbent presidents of Dong Zong and Jiao Zong, but also in disguised privatised “Dong Jiao Zong Non-Profit Higher Learning Centre” by decreasing the number of directors to two for each of Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad, thus turning the total to six in number. Contrarily, they multiplied the number of individual directors to twenty-nine. In this manner, the total number of individual directors far exceeded the number of directors from Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad. Simply put, it resulted in ‘minor individuals owning the public property of Chinese Education’ which in fact defied its original intention. Notwithstanding now that New Era University College has been hijacked essentially, yet due to racial education spirit compassion, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad have never at anytime demanded rental from New Era University College while allowing it to continuously leverage its original space freely.
In 2019, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad initiated the construction of the Chinese Education Multi-Purpose Complex for the purposes of teacher education and UEC paper marking, including the consolidation as well as promotion of Chinese education and uphold of cultural interaction. Enthusiastic supports inundated from the general public to institutions, Chinese associations, private companies and enterprises. Now that fundraising and construction planning are in progress and in single file, not to mention the Kajang municipal council had approved its architectural design and drawing.
During that period in the foregoing, the neighbouring New Era University College posted a letter dated 8 July 2022, requesting Dong Zong to additionally constructed four million square feet of space for its academic use. While the negotiation was unsettled despite several meetings, New Era University College pronounced unfounded statement on 19 February during the Chinese New Year celebration activity, asserting both parties (The three parties and new Era University College) had come to an agreement to construct a 12-storey “Nanyang University Complex”. Learning this, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad had written several times for clarification but to no avail; now that a cease-and-desist letter was received, demanding the immediate cease of the construction.
As the circumstance is serious and urgent, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong and Merdeka University Berhad had convened major Chinese associations to attend the “Briefing and Convention of Dong Zong Chinese Education Multi-Purpose Complex” on May 31 in bid to brief and update the progress of the incident. During the exchange session, 23 associations seconded unanimously to carry out the ground breaking ceremony of the Complex. The three parties concerned were gratified and vowed to put the construction into practice as scheduled in a professional manner.