Amirudin chides Xavier for opposing degazetting of Kuala Langat forest reserve
Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari has criticised cabinet minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar for his opposition to the state’s plan to degazette the Kuala Langat (North) Forest Reserve.
Speaking at a press conference in Shah Alam yesterday, Amirudin (above) said that Xavier - in his capacity as water, land and natural resources minister as well as Kuala Langat MP - ought to have known about the proposal...
Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari has criticised cabinet minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar for his opposition to the state’s plan to degazette the Kuala Langat (North) Forest Reserve.
Speaking at a press conference in Shah Alam yesterday, Amirudin (above) said that Xavier - in his capacity as water, land and natural resources minister as well as Kuala Langat MP - ought to have known about the proposal.
“I think the minister and MP (Xavier) knows. Because the minister and MP is very familiar and involved with the process of gazetting forests.
“I have gazetted many forest areas for water assets owned by PAAB (Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad, an agency under Xavier’s ministry). The Selangor Forestry Department and Land District Office have transferred hundreds of acres to them.
“So, when rebuke comes along saying this (proposal) is contrary to the wishes of the state and federal governments to maintain the number of forest reserves (in the country), I feel that the allegation is very false and deviates from the truth.
“Those who oppose this proposal do not realise they are oblivious and have misunderstood the truth,” Amirudin added.
Xavier (below) previously told Malaysiakini that he was firmly against the degazettement of the forest reserve, saying it sent the wrong message as state governments ought to try to increase forest cover, not reduce it.
He also urged the state government to reconsider the move.
“We should not be destroying green lungs for development, what more an area that has been specially gazetted since 1927," he said.
Malaysiakini is attempting to reach Xavier’s office for a response to Amirudin’s comment.
Yesterday, Amirudin explained that the state government had proposed to degazette the forest reserve as almost half of the trees there had “degraded” and the area was no longer ecologically valuable.
The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) was also set to run through the area, he added.
The menteri besar contended that the move to degazette the 930ha Kuala Langat (North) Forest Reserve would not affect any Orang Asli settlements, and noted that other forests in the state were being considered as new forest reserves to make up for the degazettement.
Aside from Xavier, Cabinet Minister P Waythmoorthy is also opposed to the move.
Environmental groups such as the Malaysian Nature Society and the Global Environment Centre (GEC) have spoken out against it, highlighting the importance of the forest reserve as a peat swamp forest.
The GEC noted that the area was the habitat for the Malayan sun bear, Selangor pygmy flying squirrel and the Langat red fighting fish. It also contained meranti bakau trees.
An online petition titled “Save Kuala Langat Forest Reserve” has also emerged.
Directed to the Selangor Forestry Department director Mohd Ridzuwan Endot, more than 16,000 signatures have been recorded in the petition at publication time.
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