opinion

The rape of Bukit Sungai Putih Permanent Forest Reserve and Wildlife Reserve should be seen as an act of state terrorism against our Malaysian natural heritage, depriving our future generations of this precious green lung so close to the capital city.

The response by the Selangor state government, the Environment Ministry, the Anti-Corruption Agency as well as the high-profile NGOs such as the Malaysian Nature Society and the World Wildlife Fund can be summed up in one word: unacceptable!

Firstly, the state government can put an immediate stop to any plans to develop the rest of the de-gazetted forest and re-gazette it forthwith. This it could and should have done in 1996 when residents protested.

Instead, the Selangor government decided to lie low for a while during the public outcry and develop areas away from public view. Today, the devastation is again in full swing and the state government is feigning innocence.

There is no doubt that the companies which have interests in this de-gazetted forest - including the state government subsidiary Kemajuan Bukit Segar - intend to 'develop' their allotted parcels, which include areas considered high risk by the macro-EIA.

The new Selangor Mentri Besar Dr Muhamad Khir Toyo, must prove that he does not have interests in these projects and that he is sensitive to public opinion by re-gazetting the untouched forest.

Nothing less is acceptable. Such transparency is vital if he and the state exco are to regain even a fraction of the credibility lost through the stealthy de-gazetting of Bukit Sungai Putih.

Obligatory crocodile tears

Secondly, the Environment minister should stop behaving like a pathetic toothless tiger since Bukit Sugai Putih is a wildlife sanctuary which the State Government cannot infringe without federal approval.

The people want positive action by the federal authorities since it is very clear that the state government has violated the law.

From recent press reports, it is clear that the developers involved in the rape of Bukit Sungai Putih have ignored strict regulations on hill clearing just as they did in 1996 and 1998.

The Environment ministry must take immediate action and not wait for another disaster to happen before they shed the obligatory crocodile tears. Kemajuan Bukit Segar was fined a paltry RM25,000 for the mud floods which burst upon Taman Cuepacs in 1998!

To this day, the victims of the mud floods have not been compensated despite the assurances by the state government.

The Federal Government should also take action against the local government for allowing this project to proceed without first calling for residents' responses and initiating public debate - procedures specified by the Town and Country Planning Act.

These processes are designed to ensure that sound, sensible and sustainable decisions are made in planning.

ACA, where are you?

Thirdly, the silence and inaction of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) is unacceptable after their public undertaking that there would be an investigation. Their silence can only be interpreted as cover-up since the re-gazetting of Bukit Sungai Putih involved top politicians in the Selangor government under former menteri besar Tan Sri Muhammad Taib.

Tan Sri Muhamad Taib has since said ( The Sun , Aug 19) that the Selangor state exco had approved the de-gazetting. If so, the state exco of 1992 must be held responsible for this surreptitious action.

It must be pointed out that interests in the Selangor state government are still involved in the projects at Bukit Sungai Putih through their subsidiary Kemajuan Bukit Segar.

The ACA may want to find out why this state government subsidiary has found it necessary to continually change its name from Kemas Anggun to G-Two and now, Kemajuan Bukit Segar.

This is clearly a case of conflict of interests which brings the whole chain of official action from de-gazetting, approvals of EIA to the issue of granting building permission, into question.

NGOs' surrenderism

Finally, the silence of the leadership of high-profile environmental NGOs, the Malayan Nature Society and the Worldwide Fund For Nature over the rape of Bukit Sungai Putih casts a pallor over their commitment to the preservation of such a precious piece of Malaysian natural heritage just 15 minutes from the capital city.

Is it that Bukit Sungai Putih lacks the exotic quality and allure of far-flung frontiers, or should we put their silence down simply to the pure and simple surrenderism of the comfortable middle-class?

To sum up, the responses of the state, Federal government, ACA and high-profile environmental NGOs to the rape of Bukit Sungai Putih Permanent Forest Reserve should be unacceptable to all concerned, caring and conservation-minded Malaysians.

DR KUA KIA SOONG, former member of parliament, is director of social activist group, Suaram, and coordinator of the Save Bukit Sungai Putih Forest Committee. He has just edited a book on the Bukit Sungai Putih controversy, entitled People Before Profits .