Work going on at forest reserve despite court order, NGO claims

 

The Selangor menteri besar claims that the degazettement of parts of the Bukit Cherakah forest reserve was approved by the previous state government in 2000.

SHAH ALAM: An environmental NGO has alleged that a developer is violating a Shah Alam High Court order prohibiting a piece of land at the Bukit Cherakah forest reserve from being developed.

Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) said it had received reports from local residents and drivers passing by Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari “about heavy machinery still working in the area”.

“Residents have also heard the sound of heavy machinery doing earthworks. This violates the court order,” Peka president Damien Thaman Divean said in a statement.

“The developer’s actions are in contempt of court.”

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Ads by 

Rajesh Nagarajan, one of the three lawyers representing Peka and the Shah Alam Community Forest Society (SACF), said he was informed by his clients that a contractor was still carrying out works despite the stay order granted by the Shah Alam High Court.

“I have been instructed to commence contempt of court action against the said contractor for failing to abide by the court’s order,” he said, adding that he would do so within this week.

On Aug 11, the Shah Alam High Court granted Peka and SACF an interim stay against the Selangor government’s degazettement of a piece of land at the Bukit Cherakah forest reserve.

Rajesh previously told FMT the interim stay order granted by judge Shahnaz Sulaiman meant that “no one could log the forest, chop down its trees or develop the land” until the leave application is heard.”

The NGOs are seeking a judicial review to challenge the legality of the degazettement of 406ha, or roughly the size of 1,000 football fields, in the reserve. The leave application will be heard on Sept 28.

FMT spent several hours in the area yesterday but found that no earthwork activity was carried out at the time.

There were, however, several lorries and bulldozers at the parking lot.

The project site’s main entrance was also closed, with only security guards seen outside the site.

When contacted, the developer’s representative denied that there were earthworks going on at the project site.

“(The parties) can see for themselves at the project site whether the work is still going on as claimed,” he told FMT.

Last week, menteri besar Amirudin Shari said the state government would complete the process to degazette parts of the reserve to avoid possible legal action by companies with interests there.

Amirudin also said the delisting of parts of the reserve was approved by the previous state government in 2000. - FMT