[UPDATED] Get your facts right: S’gor exco bins group’s claims against state govt

KUALA LUMPUR – Get your facts right before accusing the state government, said Selangor executive councillor Hee Loy Sian after a forest monitoring watchdog claimed that more than 5,700ha of Genting Highlands and the surrounding hilly areas were earmarked for development.

Hee, who holds the tourism and environment portfolio, said the allegations made by the Rimba Disclosure Project (RDP) were false.

“I deny those accusations. They are guesswork, the information is wrong.

“They (RDP) need to get their facts right before pointing their fingers at the state government,” he was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.

Later, RDP tweeted at 10.44am that “the authorities are trying to avoid blame by focusing on the issue of the licence of the campsite operator”.

The watchdog also said the authorities are “ignoring that the environmentally sensitive area including Father’s Organic Farm has been zoned by the Selangor government for commercial use”.

“We must investigate the role of the consultants who came up with the zoning plan and the authorities who approved it for their role in the landslide.”

A day after the deadly landslide at a Batang Kali campsite, RDP released a statement claiming that more than 5,700ha earmarked consisted of 5,000ha noted in the draft of Bentong’s district local plan, 316ha from the draft of Genting special area plan, as well as 248.7ha, 125ha and 14.5ha for three private developments.

“The Genting special area plan proposes developments in areas directly adjacent to Father’s Organic Farm, the site of the landslide. It also proposes constructing a new road up a separate hill (Gunung Bunga Buah) and a contiguous development, including high-rise apartments and houses, from Gohtong Jaya to the peak of Genting Highlands and along the Ulu Kali ridge.

“The Bentong district local plan proposes for 5,000ha of mostly mountainous areas east of Genting Highlands and surrounding Janda Baik to be zoned for housing, commercial lots and other non-forest land uses. This land overlaps with environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) rank 1 and 2 zones.”

The proposed 125ha private development is in a forest reserve according to government data and overlaps with ESA rank 1 and 2 zones.

The other two plots – 248.7ha and 14.5ha – are ongoing projects and sit respectively in an ESA rank 1 zone and rank 2 zone.

“For public safety, we call on the authorities in Selangor and Pahang to immediately halt all current construction works and permanently abandon the shocking proposals under the Bentong district local plan and Genting special area plan, and work to reforest all areas which have since been degraded.”

The massive landslide that hit the Fathers’ Organic Farm campsite measured 300m in length and 70m in height. 

So far, 24 victims were confirmed dead. 61 were rescued, while nine are still missing in the incident. – The Vibes, December 19, 2022