The St Thomas Church in Kuantan has been slapped with a surprise acquisition order for part of its land, on which the St Thomas Secondary School is located.

Parish priest Father Mitchel Anthony said the church had in 1996 agreed to transfer the school's administration to the government, on condition that it retained ownership of the land and that the government eventually identifies a new site for the school.

However, Anthony said, the church was not told of a substitute site and subsequently, on July 16, 2008, the church informed the government of its intention to take back the land by the end of this year.

"We need the land for our own use and expansion as we have a growing Catholic community and we are conducting our Sunday (religious) classes in the school classrooms.

Furthermore, the express condition in our land that the land is meant for church use only," Anthony said in a press statement issued today.

Promise made to relocate school

The government in 2009 agreed to the land take back and promised to relocate the school.

However, on June 21 this year, St Thomas Church was suddenly informed that the government would instead be acquiring the land on which the school sits, he said.

The church, through the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, has since filed for leave for judicial review against the government's decision.

Filed in the Kuantan High Court last Wednesday, where some 100 parishioners were present to show support, the legal action names the Pahang Land and Mines Department director and the Education Ministry.

The case will be heard on Sept 19.

endon funeral 201005 murphy pakiam "We strongly urge the government to stop the acquisition process and to protect our right to our land as well as our freedom of religion as enshrined in our federal constitution.

"Our archbishop has written to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak requesting him to intervene in this acquisition matter," Anthony said.

According to the letter penned by Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Murphy Pakiam ( right ), the government's action was inconsistent with its commitment to safeguard religious interests in the country.

"The government action comes as a shock and we feel it is unfair to the church. This action in essence deprives the St Thomas Church of the school's facilities for religious classes and the church's development plans for Catholics in Kuantan," the letter states.