MALAYSIANS, particularly those advocating environmental protection, have good reasons to rejoice over the Selangor government’s recent move to reverse its decision to degazette the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR).

In many ways, this is simply people power that drove the 18-month campaign to save the forest.

It is an important triumph that witnessed a wide spectrum of people, ranging from social activists, environmentalists, Orang Asli, netizens, politicians and concerned citizens, being united by a deep concern for the survival of a precious 8,000-year-old peat swamp forest that is blessed with biodiversity and wildlife, among other things.

They were moved by the realisation that denuding a forest as vital as the KLNFR in the name of development, i.e., the usual justification, is no longer tenable, especially in the context of global climate change.

This explains why there were 45,423 objections from the public, 130,000 signatures for online petitions, and close to 1,500 emails sent to Selangor assemblymen to express their opposition to the degazettement of the forest reserve the size of 751 football fields.

Not that these people are blindly opposed to development, as they are often portrayed as such by those who have the penchant for reckless deforestation and see money in almost every green pocket of the country.

The fact that Malaysia was reported to have achieved in the period between 2000 and 2012 the highest deforestation rate in the world is not something one would wear on one’s sleeve.

The KLNFR issue also brings to the fore the importance of genuine consultation with stakeholders, such as the Orang Asli, environmentalists and nature lovers, before any project is implemented.

The Orang Asli often get the brunt of so-called development projects that encroach their customary native lands in the forest.   

Such consultation is especially vital in the case of development projects that are environmentally sensitive, the destructive process of which is irreversible.

It is appreciated that the Selangor state government, Menteri Besar Amiruddin Shari in particular, eventually responded positively to the people’s objections.

The state – or for that matter, any state in the federation – needs to be always reminded that at the end of the day it should be accountable to its constituents.

Which is why the state has to be transparent when it comes to dealing with projects that have environmental consequences. Degazetting a forest reserve in a hushed manner is indeed off-putting.

The concern for environmental protection has a wide appeal, as shown by the objections expressed by people from all walks of life and beyond the borders of Selangor towards the forest degazettement.

It is, thus, most appropriate a call made by Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) vice-president Dr Thanussha Francis Xavier to fellow Malaysians to be vigilant about environmental issues that emerge elsewhere in the country.

She cautioned about development projects that are on-going despite clear environmental implications in the states of Johor, Pahang, Kedah and Kelantan, among others.

Drawing from the experience of the Pertahankan Hutan Simpan Kuala Langat Utara (PHSKLU) Coalition, concerned Malaysians are well placed to help each other in campaigning for the protection of the environment around the country.

The physical environment is part of us. We cannot afford to divorce ourselves from it. – September 10, 2021.