A signature campaign to reinstate the registration of the Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall was recently held by the Malacca Chinese Chamber of Commerce. It received a strong and wide response from the public. To date over 156 Chinese associations from around the country have signed the petition and 2,500 signatures have been collected.
The chairman of the Malacca Chinese Chamber of Commmerce, Mr. Tan Poh Seng, revealed this to the Chinese media at a recent Protest and Rescue Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall Seminar held at Pei Fong Independent Chinese School.
The seminar attracted nearly a thousand people who carried banners that read, To Protect The Reputation of Chinese Association and to Rescue and Help Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall to Recover its Legal Identity.
Meanwhile, Lee Chee Liang, Deputy Minister of Kementerian Dalam Negeri, met the committee members. His preliminary finding is in favour of the assembly hall, but he is still gathering information on the matter.
The deregistration of the Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall has became a national issue for the Chinese. The Federation of Chinese Associations ( Huazong ) has formed a legal team, to look into the matter.