Has Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari become too arrogant? His state government has been trying to chop down part of the Bukit Cerakah Forest Reserve.
When criticised, he responded, "Brother, pass me your address because I want to sue you for accusing me of taking money from developers."
This sounds like a taikor (big brother) trying to intimidate people into silence. Dear MB, if you want to talk tough, can you handle some equally tough questions?
1. Very suspicious?
This is the second big forest dispute under your leadership. Last year, it was the secretive attempt to destroy the Kuala Langat forest reserve.
In 2019, your state exco member Hee Loy Sian (who handles environmental issues) promised that forest reserves in Selangor would only be developed for public utilities such as electricity pylons and highways.
But last year, it was revealed that your government wanted to hand over the Kuala Langat land, first to a company linked to state royalty, and then to another company linked to a former Johor Umno Youth leader.
Dear MB, don’t you think all this looks very suspicious?
2. Turn off voters?
This kind of controversy is “understandable” in states controlled by Umno/BN. But it’s sad to see this in a state ruled by Pakatan Harapan.
Over 100,000 people have signed a petition to save SACF (the Shah Alam Community Forest), which is part of Bukit Cerakah.
Dear MB, will this issue boost or cut voters’ support in the coming general election?
3. Trust and honesty?
Dear MB, do you think this is merely a “greenie issue” about forests? Or a deeper one about political trust, integrity and honesty?
4. Political donations?
Politics is not a cheap business. It needs funds. But the problem is that we lack real laws against political donations.
Dear MB, you deny receiving any money personally from developers. Fair enough, surely you are not like Najib Abdul Razak who put such money straight into his own bank account. And luckily, your denial was done without any “sumpah laknat”.
But dear sir, can you also please confirm that no (potential) developers have paid “donations” to any “charity foundation” or other funds linked to you or other state leaders?
5. Why such dubious tactics?
Why have your people been giving repeated half-baked excuses? At first, Hee said the forest reserve was degazetted (stripped of legal protection) in 2006.
But activists found this was invalid, and the former president of the Malaysian Bar Council AG Kalidas confirmed this.
Then your people quietly tried some legal gymnastics to backdate the degazetting by 22 years! This forced two eco groups to sue your government to stop this amazing “time travel”. The court has since ruled that the forest will remain protected pending the case hearing.
Dear MB, don’t you think all these legal problems are a signal to change direction?
6. Why the hush-hush?
There was no official media statement about the 22-year backdating. If alert activists had not spotted an obscure entry about this on the Lawnet website on May 5, the three-month limit for legal objections may well have passed by unnoticed.
Dear MB, was this what your government was hoping for?
7. Why destroy treasure?
Are you aware that Bukit Cerakah still has its original million-year-old forest? It’s rich with wildlife such as gibbons, hornbills, slow loris, mousedeers and tapirs. Yes, tapirs.
This is a mini Taman Negara right in the Klang Valley. Its hills are great as a green lung for residents, hikers and tourists. So why don’t you want to preserve this place for public benefit?
Dear MB, are you aware that the steep slopes here are terrible for development because it will mean soil erosion and flash floods? Has Selangor learned the lessons of Baling and Sri Muda?
8. Why repeat Umno mistake?
The 406-hectare chunk of the forest at Bukit Cerakah (about the size of 1,000 football fields) was first degazetted by Umno MB Mohd Khir Toyo 22 years ago (he was later jailed for corruption over his “palace” mansion).
Dear sir, as the leader of a “reformasi” Harapan state government, shouldn’t you be reversing the bad deeds of Umno leaders?
As PKR-related Otai Reformis secretary Abdul Razak Ismail said, “What does it mean when the people elect Harapan in Selangor for almost three terms, but state excos are still blaming the previous government to cover up their inability to resolve the issue?”
9. Backdoor tactic?
Why did your officials try to do all this backdoor backdating business?
Dear MB, is it because you want to “jump back” in time to avoid a state law of 2011? A law that says any degazetting of the forest must go through a public hearing?
10. Why hide?
In April 2021, a bantahan (objection) session was held by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA). This dealt with the Local Plan (involving a graveyard and road) in this area. Yet journalists were barred from the “public” hearing.
Dear MB, what was there to hide? What happened to Selangor’s 2011 Freedom of Information law?
Official minutes of the session were requested but not given. MBSA also ignored the people’s objections and went ahead with its plans.
Dear sir, is this what you call a “kerajaan mesra rakyat” or “people-friendly government”?
11. Cured of Azmin?
In 2018, you were not Harapan’s real choice to become MB, it was Ijok assemblyperson Idris Ahmad. But you got in because the palace picked you, based on Azmin Ali's recommendation.
Azmin still seems to like and support you. Dear sir, have you been totally “cleaned” of your past association with him?
12. Who is benefitting?
After the court suspended the ridiculous backdating attempt, you still stubbornly insist on degazetting the Bukit Cerakah forest. Your excuse now is to avoid being sued by companies that will “lose business opportunities approved by the former state exco”.
“We can’t do anything because it was a decision by the previous government,” you added. Ah, there you go again, blaming everything on the “bad old” BN guys.
Okay, since PKR and Harapan are all about “transparency”, you should reveal which are the companies that will “lose business”. Who was given such lucrative land?
Dear MB, are they linked to Umno and ex-MB Khir, or to current state leaders?
13. Cannot take land back?
Dear MB, are these dubious RM2 companies? What land premiums have they paid? Surely you know that they cannot do anything if their projects are not approved by the state?
So what is stopping you from getting the state to buy back their land (with a small profit to them)? Especially since the degazetting was wrongly done in the past.
Dear sir, you blame “the previous government” for this problem. But why are you protecting their decision, instead of reversing it?
14. Was there corruption?
Or have projects already been approved here? By who? Lawyers note that any such approvals on forest reserve land are illegal.
Dear MB, why don’t you investigate possible corruption by “the previous government”?
15. Why roads and graveyard?
You recently said that any state subsidiary involved will be asked to stop their project unless it involves “public interest” such as building roads or graveyards.
Hopefully, this means PKNS will stop their hush-hush Bandar Sierra Alam development which was disguised as “conservation”.
But dear MB, why build roads if you want to save the forest? Are you trying to make future “development” easier?
And why do you want to chop down an ancient forest rich with wildlife to bury dead bodies?
Dear sir, don’t you know there are already two huge graveyards nearby at Fairy Park (Meru) and Nirvana Klang?
16. The MB jinx?
Several former MBs - Muhammad Taib, Khir, Khalid Ibrahim and of course Azmin - have all been hit with big controversies. It’s almost like... a curse.
Is it because Selangor is the richest state in Malaysia, rife with temptations?
Dear sir, will you be jinxed next? - Mkini
ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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