THE Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) wishes to congratulate the Federal Territories Ministry, Kuala Lumpur mayor and his staff for inviting comments on the draft KL Structural Plan 2040.
This open dialogue has enabled the public and interested parties such as MNS to share our views.
MNS proposes that Federal Hill be formally gazetted and turned into a world-class conservation, recreational and heritage site, which would also contribute to the goals of the Kuala Lumpur Low-Carbon Society Blueprint for 2030. This conservation initiative would take Kuala Lumpur a long way forward at little cost.
The prime minister’s proposal to plant 100 million trees throughout Malaysia is commendable. MNS also congratulates the community of Taman Tun Dr Ismail for securing the gazettement of 111ha of the Bukit Kiara Federal Park.
We are extremely heartened with the recent Court of Appeal’s decision to quash a 2017 development order that impinged on Taman Rimba Kiara as a green lung.
MNS’ proposal to gazette Federal Hill would be in line with these progressive green developments. It complements, as an extension, the natural tourist belt and forest park network linking Lake Gardens, Taman Tugu, and butterfly and bird parks, as well as Carcosa Seri Negara and Dataran Merdeka – all easily accessible from KL Sentral.
As Malaysia’s oldest environmental civil society group, MNS has a long presence in Federal Hill, with its headquarters in Jalan Kelantan. MNS, together with other groups and corporations alike, have been enriching Federal Hill with tree-planting projects for many years.
These initiatives culminated in the launch of Think City’s project for Federal Hill’s Urban Community Forest (UCF) in July 2017. Among those invited and present at this launch were Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah (current KL mayor and former City Hall executive planning officer), Datuk Nor Akhirrudin Mahmud (the Forestry Department’s Peninsular Malaysia director-general), the president and senior members of MNS council and board of trustees.
In a 2016 survey, MNS identified 234 tree species from 82 families. Two exciting discoveries were Shorea glauca, an endangered Dipterocarp tree, and Tetrastigma curtisii, a host for one of the parasitic Rafflesia flowers. Sabah scientists have successfully inoculated Tetrastigma spp. with the Rafflesia parasite. Therefore, the potential to have Rafflesia flowers in the heart of Kuala Lumpur is real.
MNS’ survey also established the presence of 53 bird species, both resident and migrant, affirming that the area is a key bird refuge and migratory corridor. The survey also found many other fauna, including butterflies, amphibians, mantids, which indicates the UCF of Federal Hill is an ecosystem by itself.
Open letter to the authorities
MNS has created five walking and educational trails at the UCF of Federal Hill: Heritage, Thunbergia, Jungle Fowl, Cempedak and Pulai trails have been actively used for recreational and educational purposes by schools prior to the MCO and Bangsar and Bukit Bandaraya residents. MNS has also provided guided interpretive flora and fauna walks in the trails for the general public.
The UCF of Federal Hill is an important carbon sink acting as a clean air filter, and a natural bio-cooling system that moderates urban heat as temperatures rise with climate change.
Given that the highest elevation is 110m above sea level, Federal Hill should be formally recognised as “hill land”. The UCF is a mature secondary forest that protects adjacent areas from rapid rainfall run-off and flooding, erosion and landslides, particularly in cases of inappropriate development.
Sg Bras-Bras situated behind the MNS headquarters at Federal Hill has never dried up. It is the only spring water site identified as part of the River of Life project, initiated by the Drainage and Irrigation Department.
It is recognised as one of the few “mata air” situated in a capital city of the world. The stream helps to mitigate drought on the hill itself and enhances the cooling effect on Kuala Lumpur.
Federal Hill is also symbolic culturally and historically, with the presence of three “istana hinggap” (satellite palaces) that includes the royal houses of Kedah, Negri Sembilan and Perak.
The concept of “Federal Hill” commemorates the formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1948, which led to Malaysia’s independence on August 31, 1957. Streets are named after the Malay states i.e. Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor and Perlis. Sri Galeria Perdana was the formal residency of many Malaysian prime ministers.
The government quarters here, which were pre-independence colonial houses, can be restored for NGO and institutional use, such as seed banks supporting urban community farms and nurseries.
In a single site, Federal Hill is complete with iconic buildings that are part of our national history, with a showcase UCF that can be turned into a world-class recreational and tourist area, akin to Hyde Park in London and Central Park in New York.
MNS looks forward to a positive response to our appeal to gazette Federal Hill. This would represent a mammoth step towards a more liveable garden, heritage city, pride and jewel of Kuala Lumpur. – The Vibes, February 4, 2021
