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HONG KONG : Action hero Jackie Chan said Thursday a museum dedicated to his career would have been built in Hong Kong rather than Singapore if the government had not ignored his repeated requests for land.
The Hong Kong-born "Rush Hour" star said he had decided to donate his costumes, awards and a collection of antique Chinese houses to Singapore after 10 fruitless years trying to convince the Hong Kong government to host the attraction.
"I finally decided last week to give (the collection) to them," he told AFP.
"I will build everything in Singapore. All my costumes will be moved there. The Jackie Chan Museum will be in Singapore," he said.
His collection included seven wooden houses, currently stored in a Hong Kong warehouse, which date back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and are worth more than 67 million US dollars.
He said he would not change his mind unless the Hong Kong government got back to him over the next few days with a concrete offer.
"But I doubt if they will come back to me, not even if they are given another year," he said. "I was very disappointed. It was a shame."
"I feel Hong Kong is now too politicised," he said, adding that Chief Executive Donald Tsang and other government officials were often afraid to take actions for fear of being criticised.
Chan said although he had offered to pay for the land and the cost of the project, the government had not responded.
In contrast, he said that the Singapore government replied a week after it learnt about his idea. He was offered land and costs for transporting the exhibits.
"I was really touched," he said.
A government spokeswoman said the Hong Kong Tourism Board was discussing the issue with Chan.
"We are trying to learn more about his plan before we consider how to take it forward," she told AFP.
- AFP/il
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