KUALA LUMPUR – Images of forest clearing at Bukit Tabur in Selangor have set social media abuzz, with environmentalists, hikers and residents living nearby objecting to the activity.
Amid the outrage, the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) has revealed that the land parcel in question is privately owned.
MPAJ president Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim in a statement said the landowner has carried out clearing and tree felling without first securing approval.
The state government stopped the operation at 11am yesterday and seized an excavator used on-site. It has also placed a stone barricade to prevent heavy vehicles from re-entering the location.
However, some questions remain. Will the state government approve any sort of development application for the said land in the near future? Will it purchase these plots from the owners in an effort to protect Bukit Tabur and the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge?
Residents of Taman Melawati, a nearby neighbourhood, are angry and disappointed over the clearing works carried out near a natural heritage site.
Although it is privateers’ right to do whatever they desire with the land, Taman Melawati Residents’ Association (TMRA) chairman Azhari Taharim said he is seeing red as they are not following the law.
“I am very angry because no one is following the law. If I own a plot of land there, I would have applied to MPAJ first.
But they know that the law is not strict and the authorities can’t enforce it, so they bulldoze their way through first. If ever the authorities shut it down, they’ll just start applying for the formal papers.
“When it gets approved, they will do whatever they want,” Azhari told The Vibes.
He condemned landowners for carrying out open burning at Bukit Tabur over the past few months.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m okay with them turning their land into orchards or farms, but not open burning.
“Some may be rich enough to bring trucks and machinery up there to cut down trees and bring them down, but others burn. It makes the job quicker when they burn.”
Azhari, who visited the site with MPAJ officials, expressed grief that politicians appear to have no willpower or interest to get involved, let alone preserve the nation’s heritage.
“The government should buy back the land, but it is saddening that there’s no one who has the political willpower to do so.
(Datuk Seri Mohamed) Azmin Ali has not visited this area, not once. He even condones the development in Bukit Antarabangsa, but we are the ones fighting and opposing it. His name does not sell well here. He has never visited the place.”
Azmin has been Gombak MP for three terms.
Kennedy Michael, who has lived in Taman Melawati for 44 years, said he is beyond annoyed that the activity keeps happening.
The TMRA secretary said every time such unethical practices take place, it breaks the association’s routine as it has to spend a lot of time gathering information and getting the authorities on board to tackle the issue.
“Every time it happens, it’s annoying because there’s more work for us to do. We are not enforcers of the law. We are just a community of friends and environmentalists.
“When something like this happens, we spend a lot of time getting the authorities on board.
It is definitely an annoyance at first, and there is despair because it never changes. You would imagine that people learn from their experience when something happens, and would know not to repeat it. But it’s never-ending.”
Resident Dr Sallehuddin Abdullah said he is shocked to know that forest clearing is still happening on the hill.
The orthopaedic and spinal surgeon expressed hope for the government to be more transparent with the public when it comes to Bukit Tabur land ownership.
“We want to know exactly which plots are owned by the government or individuals.
“We also want comprehensive laws that state which plots can be cleared or cannot be cleared when it comes to development projects.”
He urged the government to gazette Bukit Tabur, as it is situated near the treasured Klang Gates Quartz Ridge.
“When it comes to heritage, I feel that all the land involved should be gazetted and no development allowed there.
“Either the state or federal government should reacquire the land, especially when it comes to sensitive sites like Bukit Tabur.”
On Friday, Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia, a civil society group devoted to conserving nature, shared on Facebook photos showing a crane near the top of the hill in the middle of tiered clearings close to the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge.
Among the images is one showing garbage, presumably left behind by workers, at the site.
Following the furore, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the state government has nothing to do with the activity, and that the clearing works were not approved by local authorities.
“An enforcement team has gone to the site to stop the activity and seize machinery.” – The Vibes, September 12, 2021
Untuk makluman saudara yang budiman, kerja-kerja tersebut tidak mempunyai kaitan dengan Kerajaan Negeri dan tidak mendapat kelulusan dari pihak berkuasa tempatan. Penguatkuasa telah pun turun bagi menghentikan aktiviti tersebut dan menyita jentera yang terlibat. https://t.co/Ae3PFD6sBF
— Amirudin Shari (@AmirudinShari) September 11, 2021
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