Complex sentence: In 2004, the HKSAR government proposed to spend HKD $12 billion to build a "super jail" on the island; the proposal was strongly opposed by the general public and experts alike, and thus has been shelved indefinitely.
Split into simpler sentences: In 2004, the HKSAR government proposed to spend HKD $12 billion to build a "super jail" on the island. The proposal was strongly opposed by the general public and experts alike, and thus has been shelved indefinitely.