KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor’s move to degazette more than half of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR) has riled former water services commissioners, who outlined five items the state has failed to fulfil.
They added that the move will worsen Selangor’s water woes as the forest stores more than 15 billion litres of water in its peat soil and supplements groundwater and surface water flow to adjacent areas.
Former National Water Services commissioner (SPAN) Charles Santiago has signed a petition along with other former heads and activists to condemn the degazettement.
In a virtual press conference today, Santiago said the state government failed to present a development plan or feasibility study to justify the project or forest status conversion.
He added that no environmental impact assessment has been made, nor has a public hearing been held to consider proposals to modify the gazetted district local plan.
“The project has been overwhelmingly rejected via 45,000 written objections submitted to the state government, which have been ignored.
“The degazetted land has recently been allocated to a newly formed company with a RM1 paid-up capital, with no relationship to the company or project originally proposed for the development prior to the start of the degazettement process.”
Santiago highlighted the KLNFR’s unique features.
“The KLNFR is an important and unique peatland/lowland forest that plays a role in water storage, as well as in ground and water supply and flood mitigation.
“It directly supplies water to the agriculture and plantation crops of the local Temuan Orang Asli communities, who have been the guardians of the forest for more than 130 years.
“When the forest was first gazetted as a permanent forest reserve in 1927, the rights of the Orang Asli community to live within the forest, harvest forest products and use the water resources were officially recognised.”
He added that if development projects go through, the destruction of the forest could see 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide released.
“The future of the environment is a huge concern for the youth. The decision by the Selangor government is wrong here. It is clear that there is vast opposition to this, especially from the youth.”
Asked whether this unpopular decision would have a negative impact on the Pakatan Harapan-led state administration, Santiago acknowledged the degazettement as a major source of contention.
“It will definitely hurt the PH state government. But I believe the PH government is open to alternative views and reversing decisions. We are an open government especially when there is strong criticism.”
The degazettement of 536ha from the 991ha forest, has been replaced by gazetted land in Sg Panjang, Ampang Pecah, and Broga.
Global Environment Centre director and former SPAN commissioner Faizal Parish, however, said it may not fully mitigate the degazettement of KLNFR.
“There’s one area in Sg Panjang that is a peat swamp. There are other forest types. It cannot be said to be similar or a replacement.
“Furthermore, the wildlife is not going to get on a bus and travel there. They will die. They will kill everything there.
“The Orang Asli community living nearby can’t travel 100km away to collect medicinal plants.”
Faizal also said that arguments that areas in the forest were destroyed by fire do not hold water.
Although fires were reported in KLNFR before 2015, they were linked to development projects near the jungle.
However, the Global Environment Centre and the state Forestry Department worked to remedy the matter.
“The work done was successful and there were hardly any more forest fires. The areas damaged by fire have recovered and the trees there are now eight to 10 metres tall.
“The repair of the forest should be recognised and not used as an excuse to develop the land.”
The petition objecting to the degazettement was signed by Santiago and SPAN commissioners Faizal, Abdul Halim Jantan, Datuk Gurdial Singh Nijar, Sarajun Hoda Abdul Hassan, Datuk Lim Chow Hock, Steven Choong, and Datuk Lim Chow Hock.
On Monday, Selangor Tourism, Environment, and Green Technology exco Hee Loy Sian informed the state assembly that the KLNFR had already been degazetted since May.
However, Hee said that since there were objections to the proposal, only 536ha from the 991ha forest were degazetted. – The Vibes, September 1, 2021
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