Selangor has more forest reserve land than the minimum quota of 30 percent that it has set, Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali told his critics today.

"We have a total of 250,129 hectares of gazetted forest reserves and that amounts to 31.5 percent of the total land in Selangor.

"Our policy is that the forest reserves in the state should not fall below 30 percent of the total land," Azmin said during the state government monthly assembly gathering in Shah Alam this morning.

He said Selangor was better than the other states, which commercialised their forests and sacrificed the future of the children.

"Our state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong always reminds the state government on the need to preserve forests when a matter possibly related to forest reserves is brought up.

"Wong (photo) knows how many monkeys and tapirs are inside the forest," Azmin said to a laughter from the gathering.

He said the state government was widely criticised, as though it had neglected its duties.

Part of the criticisms have been answered by the state Forestry Department, but some just refused to listen, he said without naming these parties.

The state government has been slammed for its plan to de-gazette forest reserves for the construction of highways.

The affected forests will be the Bukit Cherakah forest reserve and Sungai Buloh forest for the Damansara Shah Alam Highway (DASH) construction cutting through it.

The Bukit Sungei Puteh forest in Hulu Langat has also been identified to be degazetted for the Sungei Besi Ulu Kelang Highway (SUKE).

Residents in Ampang and Petaling Jaya have expressed their disappointment, claiming the Selangor government had broken promises to always take into account the views of the people before granting approval for the construction of highways in the state.

Both the ‘Say No to SUKE’ (SNTS) and ‘Say No to Dash’ (SNTD) groups had lodged reports against the state government.

SNTS had also filed a judicial review application on the SUKE project last month.

SUKE is a 24.4km three-lane dual carriage expressway, starting from Petaling Jaya to Hulu Kelang; while SUKE is a 20.1km three-lane dual carriage expressway from Puncak Perdana in Shah Alam to the Penchala Interchange in Petaling Jaya.

Azmin also took credit for the state government’s efforts in forest preservation that he believes had relieved the people from being impacted by the El Nino effect.

“Although the worldwide climate change and El Nino (have also) impacted us, if both the federal and state governments take proactive measures by not allowing the forests to be cleared..., then the El Nino phenomenon will be handled effectively.

“In Selangor, although it is expected El Nino will stay until September, we have seen something positive - the rains have begun to fall and the dam levels are not at critical levels.

“If this is continues, we expect Selangor will not face a water disruption issue,” he said, adding that the government will try its best not to impose water rationing.