Melaka school alumni makes appeal to fund legal battle
MELAKA: The Canossian Alumnae Association of Melaka is appealing to former students of missionary schools to contribute towards a fundraising campaign to support ongoing legal proceedings involving the SK Sacred Heart Canossian Convent, a school located in the heart of the historic city.
The association's vice-president Josephine Chua said that the Canossian presence in the state spans more than 120 years and its legacy faces serious uncertainty due to unresolved legal disputes over land ownership.
"The Melaka state legal advisor has issued a demand for the Canossian Sisters to pay the respondents' legal costs as ordered by the court on Feb 3.
"We also urgently require funds to file an appeal and meet other related legal expenses," she said in an interview here on Friday (May 30).
Chua said that the association is determined to preserve the mission's longstanding contribution to education and community welfare in Melaka.
"The Canossian Sisters have worked tirelessly to secure rightful registration of the land, but repeated legal setbacks have left them disheartened.
"Through this fundraising initiative, we hope to ease their burden and support their continued fight for justice," she added.
In April, Bandar Hilir assemblyperson Leng Chau Yen sought clarification from the state government on the criteria used to determine land use rights and ownership, particularly for institutions that have occupied the land for decades and hold significant historical value.
In March, the Melaka High Court dismissed a judicial review application filed by two Catholic mission bodies contesting the state's claim over the land on which the Sacred Heart Canossian Convent is located.
Known as Lot 6, the site has served as a residence for the Canossian Sisters and an orphanage since 1905.
A primary school was established there in 1929, followed by a secondary school in 1950.
According to court documents, the land was originally held under the Portuguese Mission.
Historical records show that the original title deed, issued during the Dutch colonial era, was last known to have been in Father Alvaro Martins Corado's possession during World War II.
The deed was lost following his arrest and subsequent death in Japanese captivity in 1944.
The first applicant in the case, the Mother Superior of the Daughters of Charity of the Canossian Institute (Malaya) was legally established in 1957 to hold property on behalf of the Canossian Sisters.
The second applicant, the Agent of the Commission for the Administration of the Estates of the Portuguese Missions in China and Singapore (commonly known as the Portuguese Mission), was incorporated under a 1910 colonial statute and also claims ownership of the land.
Both applicants had made multiple attempts to obtain a new title deed, engaging in extensive correspondence and meetings with state authorities over the years.
Those wishing to support the Canossian Sisters in their legal battle can contact 016-611 1201 for further details.
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