LIVID over the Selangor state government’s decision to degazette parts of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) called it betrayal of the people’s mandate.
“This decision goes against the spirit and decision of Motion 26 passed on Nov 11 last year by the Selangor state assembly, where it had unanimously voted to maintain the status of all forest reserves in the state of Selangor.
“The people of Selangor, represented by their state assembly representatives, have clearly stated – no more degazetting of any forest reserves in Selangor. This decision to degazette Kuala Langat North forest reserve blatantly ignores the people’s,” the Pertahankan Hutan Simpan Kuala Langat Utara (PHSKLU) coalition said, in a statement.
Yesterday, Selangor exco Hee Loy Sian shocked everyone by saying that the state government had decided to degazette 54% of the Kuala Langat North forest for a mixed-development project.
The move will allow 536.7ha from the 991.9ha forest to be exploited for development and the decision was only exposed during question time at the Selangor legislative assembly held yesterday.
The state government made the decision despite the state assembly unanimously agreeing in November last year on not allowing any more forest reserves in the state from being degazetted. The project also received objections from the various Orang Asli community living in the forest area.
Unimpressed with the recent turn of events, PHSKLU reminded Selangor leaders that the public have been vocal against the idea, with the Department of Forestry itself receiving more than 45,000 objections.
It added that an online petition has garnered around 130,000 signatures. The #HutanPergiMana campaign in October 2020 tracked 1,500 persons who sent protest emails within a month to elected legislative representatives in Selangor.
“Experts have argued in defence of the unique nature of the 8,000-year-old peat swamp forest, one of the last areas of peat swamp areas in southern Selangor,” it stressed.
Climate, Orang Asli in jeopardy
The coalition stressed that the forest reserve has been classified as Rank 1 Environmental Sensitive Area, under the National Physical Plan 3 which prohibits its conversion or development, in its role as habitat to countless plants and animals, and in its critical role in the livelihood and culture of the indigenous Temuan communities living there.
The conversion of the forest, the NGO mentioned, will result in 3.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being released, exacerbating the climate crisis in Selangor, the country and the world.
On that note, PHSKLU said the decision also violated the rights of nearly 1,000 indigenous Temuan community, who are dependent on resources and materials obtained from the forest for food, medicine, water and cultural preservation, as well as their ability to sustain themselves and build community resilience post-COVID-19.
“This decision will clearly impact their lives and way of living. It will also result in large mammals being displaced and encroaching and disrupting nearby villages and farms.
“This de-gazettement also disregards the successful community-based forestry management activities, valued at RM1.5 mil conducted by indigenous and local communities as well as another RM2 mil from the Government to prevent fires and to rehabilitate parts of KLNFR that had previously been impacted by fires.
“The reforestation work involved more than 10,000 trees, planted by community members working hard to protect and restore the forest, in line with the request of the previous Selangor Menteri Besar,” it concluded.
On related matter, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he had summoned Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to explain the decision to the party leadership in a meeting tomorrow.
“PKR leadership has clearly stated last year that we were opposed to the plan to degazette the forest reserve and the recent turn of events was not known to us.
“And I’m also aware that the Selangor state assembly itself had rejected the plan last year,” the PKR president added. – Aug 31, 2021.
Photo credit: Global Environment Centre
