MB: Kuala Langat forest to be regazetted only after ECRL impasse resolved
The Selangor government has yet to regazette portions of the Kuala Langat (North) forest into a permanent reserve.
One reason was that it continues to clash with Putrajaya on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) alignment...
The Selangor government has yet to regazette portions of the Kuala Langat (North) forest into a permanent reserve.
One reason was that it continues to clash with Putrajaya on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) alignment.
Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari (above) told the media today that a resolution on the long-standing ECRL impasse is expected by the “end of this year”.
Only after that can they determine how much forest to regazette, he added.
“We are in the last stages, the last process of discussion with the federal government to verify the ECRL.
“As we are all aware, we prefer the southern alignment and the federal government is quite firm on the (northern) alignment.
“I think we need to make a decision. My promise to the prime minister (Ismail Sabri Yaakob) is by the end of this year, we will (decide on) the alignment.
“If that does not work out, we won’t remove any parts (of the forest) for the ECRL train track. Because (the southern alignment) involves a lot (of land) despite being a long line, almost 1,000 acres (404ha),” he said.
He was asked about the regazettement progress after launching International Forest Day celebrations in Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor this morning.
READ MORE: An overview of the ECRL northern alignment for Selangor
The southern alignment of the ECRL, which involves about 404ha, is approximately the size of 568 football fields.
In comparison, the entire forest reserve is 991.9ha.
“Our target, our expectation is the end of this year or early next year we will be able to regazette,” he added.
Two months ago, Amirudin announced that a portion of the excised forest would be regazetted as a forest reserve and that an earlier plan to develop the forest had been cancelled.
At the time, he did not stipulate a timeline or exactly how much of the forest would be regazetted.
The decision came after the degazettement sparked widespread criticism including from environmental groups, Putrajaya, lawmakers from both sides of the political divide and Amirudin’s party PKR.
The public only learned about the degazettement three months after the decision was made.
Orang Asli village
Today, Amirudin said the ECRL decision will make a “200 to 300-acre” difference in how much forest is eventually regazetted.
“It does not reduce by a lot. I think the most will be 200 to 300 acres only, at most. But I feel it is less than that,” he said.
Another reason for the regazettement delay is the ongoing process of keeping 42.1ha of the forest degazetted as compensation for Kampung Orang Asli Busut Baru.
Back in 1993, Temuan villagers were forced 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 the land but have not been given the full amount pledged to this day.
“We will degazette that area for the Orang Asli village and gazette it again as ‘kawasan rayau’ (roaming area) and as an Orang Asli village,” said Amirudin.
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