Subang MP issues second letter to S'gor govt for info on Ayer Hitam forest land

Subang MP Wong Chen has issued another letter to Selangor Menteri Besar Amiruddin Shari, demanding the disclosure of historical chronology and details involved in the transfer of ownership over a 68.4ha parcel of land near the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Kinrara, Puchong, said to be slated for development.

Following his initial letter submitted on Dec 15, Wong urged the Selangor leader to respond to his latest request within 14 days of the letter’s issuance.

“As of 5pm on Jan 5, 2026, the end of the first working day of the new year, we have not received any reply from the Selangor government.

“As such, we are issuing a reminder letter today, giving the state government a further 14 days to provide us with a formal written response,” he said in a statement.

“The main reason for our request for these details is to enable us to consider the possibility of repurchasing the controversial land and then re-gazetting it as a forest reserve,” he added.

The Subang MP also reminded that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had advised in yesterday’s New Year’s address that all ministries should respond to official letters, especially within the given time frame, thus hoping that the Selangor government would respond accordingly.

De-gazetted in 1926

On Dec 17, Selangor executive councillor for Public Health, Environment, Climate Change, and Green Technology, Jamaliah Jamaluddin, responded to Wong's request, explaining that a check with the state Forestry Department revealed that the area had not held the permanent forest reserve status for 99 years.

According to Jamaliah, the area had originally been part of the Ayer Itam Forest Reserve, which was gazetted in 1906, and was later de-gazetted to the state government in 1926.

A large portion of the land falls under the purview of the Subang parliamentary seat, which Wong demanded that the transaction price of the land be revealed, especially due to concerns over “possible acquisition costs that may ultimately be borne by taxpayers”.

The PKR lawmaker also reminded that the state government has the Selangor Freedom of Information Enactment 2011, which allows for such disclosures.

He said this after receiving a petition signed by 3,752 residents opposing the development on the land.

According to Wong, representatives of residents’ associations had asked him to write to the state government to obtain the land’s chronology, as well as details of the transfer of ownership from Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) to the current owner.

Despite Jamaliah’s clarification, which does not include the detailed disclosure of historical transitions as requested by the Subang MP, there has also been no response from the Selangor Menteri Besar’s office.

In November 2024, it was reported that a group of residents staged a protest at Taman Tasik Wawasan, Puchong, against the project, while urging Kinrara assemblyperson Ng Sze Han to explain the details of the proposed development in the area.

The protest followed residents’ concerns over potential traffic congestion, environmental risks, and the loss of green spaces in an already densely populated town.

However, Ng said the disputed land is not part of any forest reserve, whether under the Selangor Forestry Department or Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Sultan Idris Shah Forestry Education Centre.

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