The Save Valley of Hope Solidarity Group announced today that their ‘Save and Preserve Sungai Buloh Settlement’ petition has garnered 1,801 signatures of endorsement since its May 16 launch.

The petition calls for the government to preserve the settlement (officially known as the National Leprosy Control Centre (PKKN), following media reports on the Ministry of Health’s plans to demolish several historical buildings in the Sungai Buloh settlement.

Similar cries for its preservation have been echoed by various NGOs and individuals, including executive researcher for Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia, Lim Yong Long, since a partial demolition of the Sungai Buloh settlement in 2007.

The cries have become more audible since last February, when Sungai Buloh Hospital (HSB) director Khalid Ibrahim reportedly announced plans to build, in June, a National Centre for Infectious Disease Control at the site of the former leper colony.

“We will compile the number of signees on May 31 and present the petition to the Healthy Ministry, Tourism and Culture Ministry, National Heritage Department and Selangor state government before June 3,” said group member Por Heong Hong.

A check on the petition website shows that the group aims to obtain 2,500 signatories.

The petition also pointed out that the National Heritage Department had stated its intention to nominate the 86-year-old settlement as a World Heritage Site, hence it was importance that the relevant authorities preserved the settlement.

Among the other NGOs that support the petition are Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) and the Youth Section of the Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Association.