All's well ends well for the Coliseum

The Star frontpage, 16 August 2006

Coliseum Stays!

KUALA LUMPUR: The show goes on for the Coliseum cinema! The heritage building will not be acquired or leased by the Government and it will continue to screen movies. Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim assured cinema owner Dr Chua Seong Siew that there was “no question” of the Government taking over the cinema. “The Government does not intend to take away the Coliseum cinema from the owner. We will work together in making it a great arts and culture hub to promote street-level activities. ..."

... Dr Chua said Rais was magnanimous in guaranteeing that the cinema could not be taken from his family. "My bad dreams and days of anxiety over the takeover of the cinema have come to an end," he said. ... Dr Chua said he was more than willing to cooperate with the Government to make the cinema a brighter and better place for movie goers. ...

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Well - we are all glad that Dr Chua's tears have finally turned to smiles.

Thank God the old man didn't suffer adverse health complications due to the unnecessary stress he had to endure, courtesy of the Ministry and Kuala Lumpur land administrator's unsolicited shock treatment.

I think it would be better that politicians or public officers give more thought to half-baked ideas in future, if only to avoid stirring up public anger and causing unnecessary heartache to innocent and law-abiding citizens.

By the way, Bok House is crying out to be saved from ending up as dust and rubble in our memory of a long forgotten era of grand old buildings in KL.

Would Dr Rais be interested to do something positive for a change?