SHAH ALAM, Sept 7 — Selangor State Forestry Department spent seven years assessing the proposal to develop part of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR).
Its director, Datuk Ahmad Fadzil Abdul Majid said after they received the proposal in 2014, his department held various discussions and carried out multiple researches before approving the degazettement.
“This is not an easy process as it took us seven years, from 2014 to 2012, to degazette the area. It was not a hasty decision.
“This matter should not be taken lightly as it has to go through various processes before a decision could be made, in fact, the consideration should be made from the socio-economic aspects,” he told SelangorKini.
Ahmad Fadzil said a public investigation was held in September last year to get the views from individuals, non-governmental organisations, government agencies and private parties.
“The Public Investigation Committee has reviewed all of the objections, however it was not strong enough for the state government to maintain Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve,” he said.
In 2019, the state government had planned to develop part of KLNFR into a mixed development project due to the rapid development in the surrounding area including the Saujana Putra housing project, Elite highway and Gamuda Cove.
The process to change the status was made in accordance with Section 11(b) Enactment (Adoption) National Forestry Act 1985 which allows the state to degazette the forest reserve should the area posed higher economic use.
However, the Selangor government is required to replace the permanent forest reserve approximately of similar size on other lands as stated in Section 12 National Forestry Act 1984.
An area of about 581.48 hectares has been approved as permanent forest reserve replacement which covers PT4182 in the Sungai Panjang subdistrict in Sabak Bernam (about 308.62 hectares or 762.29 acres), Ampang Pechah in Hulu Selangor (about 208.98 hectares or 516.40 acres) and Bukit Broga in Hulu Langat (about 63.88 hectares or 157.86 acres).
Following the public investigation, the state government has approved approximately half of the KLNFR for degazettement in May last year. However, the decision will be reviewed again soon.
The forest reserve was classified as a high-risk, fire-prone area and has suffered degradation of its flora and fauna species.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Fadzil said the Orang Asli villages outside the KLNFR is not a hereditary settlement as alleged by certain parties.
He said according to the record from the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa), it was confirmed that there were no Orang Asli reserved lands in the area.
“The Orang Asli community were relocated there more than 20 years ago from Sepang to give way to Kuala Lumpur International Airport construction and they were promised a new settlement of about 1,000 acres in size.
“As of now, the Orang Asli community were given more than 850 acres of lands and the remaining 100 acres will be given after the degazettement process of KLNFR is concluded.
“The state government will complete the number to 1,000 acres and fulfil the promises to the Orang Asli community. We (state government) have managed to solve the Orang Asli issue,” he said to SelangorKini.
