In August 2005, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, together with the chief minister of Selangor stood in the shadow of the Klang Gates Ridge and declared that the Quartz Ridge and 107,000 hectares of forest would be protected as the ‘Selangor State Park’.

Yet today, there are houses creeping steadily up the slopes of the Ridge and clearings for an integrated transport hub.

Now, according to the Draft Local Plan for Ampang Jaya, there are plans to build the KL Outer Ring Road right through the middle of the Quartz Ridge cutting through the Ampang Forest Reserve - both of which are supposed to be part of the state park!

What happened to the declaration? The Klang Gates Quartz Ridge was formed over 100 million years ago. It is a world-class geological masterpiece, a fact that is acknowledged in the Local Plan.

And yet, in the next five years, it seems we will run right over it, literally, with houses, buildings and highways, as if it was a trivial obstacle in our way.

From the rapid development that has scarred Batu Caves to the recent destruction of the butterfly salt lick in Perak we now have the development of housing and a planned highway that are running roughshod over the Klang Gates Ridge, quite literally. We have to ask, are any of our natural heritage considered sacred in this country?

Residents and NGO groups have objected to the KL Outer Ring Road since it appeared in the Ampang Jaya and Hulu Langat Draft Structure Plan back in 1998. What is the purpose of asking for resident opinions and feedback if the government just plans to ignore it?

I humbly ask that both the state and federal governments stop the destruction of the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge and the Selangor State Park.

Fulfill your promise to protect and conserve the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, the Ampang Forest Reserve and the rest of the forests declared as the Selangor State Park, now and for future generations.