'It took us 7 years to decide on Kuala Langat forest reserve' - Selangor forestry director

 

It took the Selangor Forestry Department seven years to review the application to develop part of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR), said its director Ahmad Fadzil Abdul Majid.

Fadzil said before they agreed to de-gazette part of the forest reserve, his department had been conducting studies and holding discussions with various stakeholders since receiving the application in 2014.

“It was not an easy process because it took time from 2014 to 2021. For us to de-gazette (the forest reserve), we needed seven years, the decision was not made in a short time.

“This matter cannot be taken lightly and it had to go through all sorts of processes before a decision was made, and it had to be considered from a socioeconomic standpoint,” he said, as reported by SelangorKini today.

Public inquiry sessions were also held in September last year in order to get the viewpoints of individuals, NGOs, government agencies as well as the private sector, he said.

“The public inquiry committee had examined all the objections, but the objections presented were not strong enough for the state government to maintain the KLNFR,” Fadzil said.

He also said the KLNFR is not the ancestral land of Orang Asli residing in villages outside the reserve as claimed by several parties.

Based on records and checks with the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa), there are no Orang Asli reserve lands in that area, he said.

The Orang Asli community living there now were moved there 20 years ago from Sepang, in order to facilitate the construction of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), he said.

At that time, they were also promised a new 1,000-acre settlement.

“So far, the Orang Asli community have been given more than 850 acres of land for their settlement, whereas the remaining 100-plus acres will be given as soon as the KLNFR de-gazetting process is done.

“The state government will fulfil the 1,000 acres and its promise to the Orang Asli community. We (the state government) has successfully solved the Orang Asli’s issue,” he said.

Fadzil also refuted claims that there are many Orang Asli graves in the KLNFR, as investigations only revealed one grave after they moved to the area.

“I understand the NGOs are defending the rights of the Orang Asli, but do we not want to see the Orang Asli follow the tides of development? The steps taken by the government has brought a lot of development to the Orang Asli,” he added.

It was revealed at the end of August that the Selangor state government had quietly de-gazetted 54 percent of the KLNFR in May.

This prompted widespread backlash against the move, including from the state government’s own backbenchers.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari was also summoned by his party to explain the matter.

The KLNFR is a peat swamp forest recognised as the habitat for the Malayan sun bear, Langat red fighting fish, the Selangor pygmy flying squirrel and meranti trees.

It is also a source of livelihood and food for the surrounding Temuan Orang Asli. - Mkini