KUALA LUMPUR – The indigenous community at Kg Orang Asli Busut Baru has welcomed the Selangor government's statement yesterday pledging to re-gazette the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR) and award 104 acres of land to their village.
However, such promises of land are not new to the natives.
Kg Busut Baru community development committee chairman Samsul Anak Senin said that land was actually assured to them in 1994 when they were forced to move to make way for the building of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
He said the community hopes this time that the Selangor state government keeps its promise.
“We have heard talks about gazetting land for us for too long, since 1994.
“I hope the promise will be fulfilled by the Selangor state government and agencies this time, and the land will be gazetted as an Orang Asli reserve,” Samsul said to The Vibes when contacted.
Asked what plans the community has for the 104 acres, Samsul said they would be used for foraging and community education, while also acting as a buffer zone between the village and forest.
“It's good to have a buffer area to prevent conflicts between village residents and wildlife such as the Malayan sun bear,” Samsul explained.
On Wednesday, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Amirudin Shari announced that the state was reversing its decision to degazette 536ha (1,325 acres) of KLNFR land.
He added that 104 acres would remain degazetted to fulfil the awarding of land to Kg Orang Asli Busut Baru to resolve issues that were delayed since the time the villagers were relocated due to KLIA’s construction.
Samsul expressed joy on behalf of his village over the decision and took the opportunity to thank the NGOs and those who objected to the forest's degazettement.
On August 30, state executive councillor Hee Loy Sian had told the Selangor assembly that more than 50% of KLNFR had already been degazetted since May.
However, in view of objections to the proposal, only 536ha of the 991ha forest were degazetted, he had said.
Hee, who heads the state’s tourism, environment and green technology portfolio, had added that the affected areas will be compensated by the gazettement of land in three other areas – Sg Panjang, Broga, and Ampang Pecah.
The move not only irked environmentalists and other NGOs, but also leaders in Amirudin’s own party, PKR.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the decision went against both the Selangor state assembly and party leadership’s wishes, and summoned Amirudin to give a detailed explanation to the PKR party leadership.
The Vibes has highlighted the controversy since October last year, reporting on the predicament of the Orang Asli here amid impending moves to degazette the forest for a mega construction project. – The Vibes, September 10, 2021
