Three environmental organisations are allowed to challenge the Selangor Forestry Department’s decision to close the Taman Rimba Ampang (Ampang Forest Park) to make way for the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) project.

The three organisations are the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), Treat Every Environment Special Sdn Bhd and the Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka).

Counsel Kwan Will Sen, who represented the three organisations, when contacted said that the High Court had, on May 11, granted leave to his clients to commence a judicial review to challenge the decision.

He said the court had also ordered a temporary halt to the park’s closure and related construction works pending disposal of the legal challenge.

The court also set May 25 for case management.

In their application for judicial review, the three organisations named the Selangor government, Selangor Forestry Department and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council as the first to third respondents.

The three organisations are seeking a certiorari order to revoke the decision to close down the park, which is the main access of the public to the Ampang Forest Reserve, to make way for the construction of the EKVE.  

They also seek a declaration that the approval, permit and licence issued by the three respondents for the construction works and/or logging activity for the EKVE project were illegal, null and void.

They claimed that the Ampang Forest Reserve was gazetted as permanent forest reserve and any deforestation and logging activities would be a violation of the law.

They also claimed that any development in the area would pollute the water source to nearby residents and threaten the biological diversity and ecosystem balance.

The EKVE project involves a proposed toll expressway linking Bandar Sungai Long and Ukay Perdana.

- Bernama