Gerakan deputy secretary-general Dr Thor Teong Gee said since the state government had acquired the property at 50, Love Lane here, they should reveal what they intended to do with it.
“This issue also brings into question the sincerity of the Pakatan government towards the Chinese community. We must honour the spirit of respecting our forefathers. In this case, the clan house.
“What are they planning to do with the property? Will they sell it back to the community at a nominal fee or at market price?
“We must remember that the clan house has intrinsic heritage value,” he said at a press conference here today.
The heritage shophouse was one of three properties owned by the Ghee Hin Society in the late 1800s.
The last occupant had met the Penang Chinese Clan Council to take over the said building, after mounting assessment rate and quit rent arrears.
Many years ago, the council had taken over Meng Eng Soo Temple (Ghee Hin Memorial of Heroes) in Rope Walk and restored it later.
The occupant of the Ghee Hin clan house had hoped the same could be done to the Love Lane property.
The said property did not have any nominated trustees after all the earlier five trustees, declared in 1909, died.
Without a trustee, the property cannot be handed over to another party legally.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was recently reported in Chinese dailies as saying the matter involved legal complexities and it was not as easy as some had asserted it to be.
However, Gerakan’s legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh said the solution was simple as the state government had already seized the property legally.
He said all that needed to be done now was for the state government, through the chief minister, to sign some documents and hand over the property back to the rightful owners.
Baljit said since there were no nominated heirs or trustees, the property could be taken over by the Penang Chinese Clan Council.
“The clan council must nominate a new trustee by writing a letter to the CM.
“If the CM agrees, he can issue a Borang 14A (an ownership transfer form) and the property can be swiftly transferred.
“It is not complicated as claimed,” he said.