THE Temuan tribe will lose its cultural heritage and a source of income if the Selangor government persists in developing parts of the Kuala Langat permanent forest reserve, said a village chief.

“We are disappointed at what (Selangor Menteri Besar) Amirudin Shaari said yesterday,” Rahman Pahat told The Malaysian Insight today.

“The forest to us is an important source of herbs used for medicine and of resources for our crafts and tools,” he added.

Rahman, who is the tok batin of the Kuala Langat area consisting of some 2,000 Temuan Orang Asli, said the villagers would be forced to travel much further for their needs if Selangor develops part of the forest.

“When it becomes harder for us to do this, we will lose our culture and identity.”

Selangor plans to de-gazette 930ha in the Kuala Langat Northern Forest Reserve to make way for a mixed-development project. The reserve is the last remaining patch of forest for the Orang Asli in the area.

On February 5, the Selangor Forestry Department had placed a notice in a newspaper inviting stakeholders in the Kuala Langat district to voice their objections to the proposal within 30 days.

By state law, public opinion must be sought before an exercise to degazette a forest reserve.

Yesterday, Amirudin told the media that the degazettal would not affect the Orang Asli villages there.

“The Orang Asli villages are not involved and were taken out of the plan to degazette the forest reserve.

“The Orang Asli area of 423ha will remain within the forest reserve and be kept as their villages and forage areas.”

Amirudin said 40% of forest was “degraded” due to forest fires, and no longer “had elements of a virgin forest”

Rahman described the menteri besari’s rationale for degazetting the land to “prevent” forest fires as laughable. 

“There was a forest fire in 2014 but we have since begun training and educating our people about how to prevent fires,” said Rahman.

He added that groups have also come in to help the Orang Asli in the area form fire brigade teams and to do replanting.

The fire in February 2014 was recorded as one of the biggest peat fires in Selangor, denuding 119ha of forest. – February 21, 2020.