SHAH ALAM, Sept 15 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has never given any approval for land grants in Batu Caves Reserve.
Selangor Menteri Besar’s political secretary, Juwairiya Zulkifli, said part of Batu Caves Reserve had been degazetted three times during the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.
“On August 26, 1954, 28.719 acres was degazetted; while on April 30, 1959, 17.45 acres and 77.475 acres was degazetted; while on January 3, 2008, a total of 29.78 acres was degazetted,” she said in a statement issued today.
Juwairiya who is also Bukit Melawati state assemblyman said the remaining Batu Caves Reserve lot is now at 242,326 acres.
The statement was issued following the news report by Free Malaysia Today dated September 10, 2021, titled ‘Explain land grants within Batu Caves reserve, NGOs tell Selangor’ on lands in the Batu Caves Reserve that have been issued with private land titles.
She said the Batu Caves site was gazetted as Batu Caves Reserve for public recreation purposes on June 17, 1930, covering 329.75 acres of land.
“Since March 13, 2018, the Pakatan Rakyat government and now Pakatan Harapan have never given approval for the disposal (of land) through ownership of the Batu Caves Reserve.
“It is clear that the considerations and decisions made were compiled during the BN government administration,” said Juwairiya.
