MB: Kuala Langat forest to be regazetted only after ECRL impasse resolved

The Selangor government has yet to regazette portions of the Kuala Langat (North) forest into a permanent reserve.

One reason was that it continues to clash with Putrajaya on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) alignment.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari (above) told the media today that a resolution on the long-standing ECRL impasse is expected by the “end of this year” or early 2022.

Only after that can they determine how much forest to regazette, he added.

“We are in the last stages, the last process of discussion with the federal government to verify the ECRL.

“As we are all aware, we prefer the southern alignment and the federal government is quite firm on the (northern) alignment.

“I think we need to make a decision. My promise to the prime minister (Ismail Sabri Yaakob) is by the end of this year, we will (decide on) the alignment.

“If that does not work out, we won’t remove any parts (of the forest) for the ECRL train track. Because (the southern alignment) involves a lot (of land) despite being a long line, almost 1,000 acres (404ha),” he said when asked about the regazettement progress.

“Our target, our expectation is (by) the end of this year or early next year we will be able to regazette (the forest),” he added.

Two months ago, Amirudin announced that a portion of the excised forest would be regazetted as a forest reserve and that an earlier plan to develop the forest had been cancelled. 

At the time, he did not stipulate a timeline or exactly how much of the forest would be regazetted.

The decision came after the degazettement sparked widespread criticism including from environmental groups, Putrajaya, lawmakers from both sides of the political divide and Amirudin’s party PKR.

[More to follow] - Mkini