KUALA LUMPUR – There is no excuse for the degazettement of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR), and it is now incumbent on the Selangor government to regazette the protected jungle.
In saying this, Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan added the state government must also apologise to the public for “pulling a fast one” when declassifying parts of the forest as a reserve.
“Anything short of that will be seen with suspicion after what’s occurred,” Shahril told The Vibes.
As for the state government’s reasons for degazetting the forest, the rising star in Umno believes the excuses do not hold water.
“In fact, I’m not sure what excuses it gave apart from telling us we’ve ticked procedural boxes and even then, you’ll find plenty of complaints, for example, about how the public hearing or engagement was conducted,” Shahril said.
It is understood he is referring to the Selangor government’s town hall session on September 30 in Klang, which saw consistent objection to the degazettement by the attendees.
Furthermore, Shahril said although Selangor Environment, Green Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman and Kajang assemblyman Hee Loy Sian had promised three other forests would be gazetted as replacements for the areas affected by the KLNFR degazettement, Shahril said this is not strong justification for its action.
“I think it’s a sorry justification for destroying both our heritage and future. Ultimately, the KLNFR degazettement is explicitly meant to allow for real estate development. A bureaucrat slapping a gazette mark somewhere else doesn’t change the fact that a forest will be destroyed.
“We lose a forest with unique characteristics holding great cultural significance for people and a similarly great role for Malaysia’s contribution in the fight against climate change,” Shahril added.
Earlier today, Umno’s deputy Youth chief also issued a statement on Facebook slamming Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari over a decision made by Pakatan Harapan (PH) Selangor.
Yesterday, PH Selangor’s leadership had said the KLNFR degazettement issues would be brought by Amirudin to the state exco.
However, Shahril said this was too little too late.
“It is the PH-led state government that degazetted the forest; all parties have representatives in the state exco, and it is impossible they aren’t aware that the decision was made in May.
“After criticisms, they sounded their objections. No apologies, no admissions of oversight.” – The Vibes, September 6, 2021
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