Selangor to re-gazette Kuala Langat forest reserve, development plan is off
Following widespread criticism, the Selangor government has changed its mind and will no longer seek to develop the Kuala Langat (North) forest reserve.
In a statement following today’s state executive council (exco) meeting, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the excised portion of the forest will be “re-gazetted”.
“The state government will...
Following widespread criticism, the Selangor government has changed its mind and will no longer seek to develop the Kuala Langat (North) forest reserve.
In a statement following today’s state executive council (exco) meeting, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the excised portion of the forest will be “re-gazetted”.
“The state government will stop its plan to develop the area and will cancel the move to give ownership of the land to the company involved.
“In relation to that, the Selangor government will begin the process to re-gazette the Kuala Langat (North) forest reserve,” he said.
Of the 536.7ha that has already been de-gazetted, Amirudin said they had decided to maintain 42.1ha as de-gazetted land as compensation for Kampung Orang Asli Busut Baru.
“The state government will consider maintaining a small area as a degazetted area for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project alignment,” he added.
Amirudin did not stipulate exactly how much of the forest will be re-gazetted as a permanent forest reserve.
Back in 1993, Temuan villagers were made to leave their generational home in Kampung Busut, Sepang to make way for the construction of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
They were relocated 40km away to Kampung Busut Baru in Kuala Langat and were promised 404.7ha of land but have not been given the full amount pledged to this day.
As for the ECRL, project owners Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd told Malaysiakini in Feb 2020 that the alignment will cut across 21.4ha of Kuala Langat (north).
It is unsure if this alignment has been changed since.
Replacement forests remain
Despite the change of plan, Amirudin announced that the state government’s initial plan to replace the degazetted area with new forest reserves remained.
The four new forest reserves are - Buloh Telor West Forest Reserve (308.62ha), Buloh Telor East Forest Reserve (57.18ha), Sungai Panjang Forest Reserve (149.96ha) and Bukit Broga Forest Reserve (63.88ha).
These gazettements have already been published and formalised.
“The state government would like to stress that the de-gazettement process followed all procedures as stated in the law.
“As a government that bases itself on accountability, the state government will write to the Selangor state speaker (Ng Suee Lim) to convene a meeting by the Special Select Committee on Capability, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) to answer all issues raised regarding the previous de-gazettement,” Amirudin said.
Quiet de-gazettement
Back in May, the state exco decided to excise 536.7ha (54 percent) of the 991.9ha forest reserve, which is the size of about 751 football fields.
Of this, private firm Gabungan Indah Sdn Bhd was supposed to be given 494.7ha for a mixed development project.
This decision was only revealed three months later on Aug 30 during a Selangor legislative assembly session following questions from lawmakers.
The revelation sparked a chorus of objections from environmental groups, civil society organisations, netizens, lawmakers on both sides of the political divide as well as federal ministries.
The de-gazettement was controversial as all Selangor assemblypersons previously voted unanimously against it.
Amirudin was later summoned by his party PKR to explain the move.
Kuala Langat (North) is a peat swamp forest recognised as the habitat for the Malayan sun bear, Langat red fighting fish, the Selangor pygmy flying squirrel and meranti trees.
It is also a source of livelihood and food for the surrounding Orang Asli.
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