S'gor agro board plans to sue over forest encroachment claims
The Selangor Agriculture Development Board (PKPS) said it plans to sue for defamation following claims that the body has illegally encroached on the Sungai Panjang forest.
In a statement today, PKPS said it was developing...
The Selangor Agriculture Development Board (PKPS) said it plans to sue for defamation following claims that the body has illegally encroached on the Sungai Panjang forest.
In a statement today, PKPS said it was developing the Selangor Smart Agro Park (SSAP) within the vicinity only on land it owns.
PKPS said that it is allowed by the Selangor Department of Environment, in a letter dated May 31, to conduct remedial works for irrigation, retention ponds, land stabilisation and prevention of landslides.
The board said that it has received a complaint on Aug 28 on the encroachment of SSAP into the Sungai Panjang forest reserve land and has tightened monitoring activities.
"Encroachment by irresponsible parties started since 2000 - before PKPS was granted rights to the land. The state government had handed the land to PKPS to facilitate monitoring efforts," said PKPS.
"PKPS is fulfilling the stop-work order issued by the Department of Environment on April 8. We view that some quarters are using this opportunity to continue illegal encroachment to tarnish PKPS' and the state government's image."
In view of this, PKPS said it will sue the Coalition for the Protection of Selangor Forests (CPSF) for making the claims to protect its reputation and that of the state government.
Since April, the CPSF has been claiming that the Sungai Panjang forest reserve had been encroached and repeated its claim yesterday in view of the controversy surrounding development plans for the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR).
On Aug 18, the KLNFR reserve area was quietly cut in half and this was revealed only when the state government was questioned by lawmakers at the State Legislative Assembly on Aug 30.
The state government plans to reserve another part of the Sungai Panjang forest to make up for the eventual loss of forest reserve land in KLNFR.
PKPS is chaired by Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.
Statement based on 'credible site monitoring'
In a separate statement later, CPSF said it stood by its earlier statement, which they said was based on “credible site monitoring, assessment and analysis” over the past two or so years by its members.
The coalition also argued against PKPS’ statement that the encroachment was done by other stakeholders in the past, claiming that PKPS and its contractors have been the only ones reportedly working at the site.
CPSF also alleged that the main work undertaken appears to have been forest clearance and log removal.
They also refuted that they did not attempt to contact PKPS or the state for clarification on its development in Sungai Panjang.
“On the contrary, representatives from the coalition member organisations have been meeting and working directly with PKPS for nearly 20 years to try to address problems with peatland development and fires in and around land being developed by PKPS in northern Selangor,” CPSF said.
Members of the coalition have also sent letters to PKPS and the state government since Jan 2020 seeking a meeting on this matter.
One meeting was held in July 2020, they said, in which PKPS indicated it was not going to proceed with the development, but they later learnt the new PKPS management had repackaged and revived the project early this year.
Their later attempts to seek clarification from PKPS and the state government received no direct response.
Regardless, they said, they hope a meeting can be arranged as soon as possible with the PKPS chairperson to discuss the protection and sustainable management of peat swamp forests in Selangor as well as compliance with state and national policies and regulations.
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