THE Coalition for the Protection of Selangor Forests (CPSF) called for action to be taken against false claims made by the Selangor state government on the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR) issue.
“The state had claimed that there are no tall trees in the KLNFR area. We also call for action to be taken against the Selangor State Agriculture Corporation (PKPS) for clearing the peat swamp forest without approval from environmental authority and continuing to clear the forest despite receiving a stop work order,” it said, in a statement.
Last week, Selangor exco Hee Loy Sian shocked the state assembly by saying that parts of KLNFR has been degazetted for a mixed-development project. The decision was made despite the very same assembly unanimously passed a motion not to degazette any forest reserve area in November last year.
Following brickbats from the public and lawmakers, Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that he would delay the matter until all matters were resolved.
However, DAP lawmaker Ronnie Liu shot back saying the state government gazette clearly indicated that the forest reserve was degazetted in Aug and Amirudin should reverse the decision, not delay it.
Elaborating on the matter, CPSF alleged the state government misled the public by saying KLNFR has no tall trees when the area is actually filled with such trees.
“The area is dominated by forests of tall, diverse, rain forest trees of critical conservation importance and must be conserved.
“PKPS, chaired by the menteri besar, has not once, but twice, destroyed (during attempted development of agriculture schemes) portions of the forest, now designated as Sungai Panjang Forest Reserve,” it added.
CPSF noted that since then, the Department of Environment (DOR) is now taking action against PKPS for clearing the forest without undertaking an EIA beforehand.
With that, the coalition urged the state government to revoke its decision to degazette 536.7 hectares of the KLNFR.
“We also call upon Amirudin and his exco members to conduct a site visit, with CPSF and the Orang Asli community, to see for themselves the quality of the forest cover in KLNFR, especially the 537ha degazetted area,” it remarked. – Sept 5, 2021.
