THE Selangor government’s development arm, PKNS, has denied a report that the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve will be degazetted to build the Selangor Business Capital business park.

PKNS, or Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor, said the report by Malaysiakini contains errornous facts about the Selangor Business Capital project, which is located at the Selangor Cyber Valley in Cyberjaya on a 140 acre (56ha) plot of land.

“This development does not involve any degazetting of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve at all.

“PKNS vehemently denies claims that the Selangor Business Capital project will be built on forest reserve land and will violate the rights of Orang Asli in the forest reserve,” PKNS said in a statement.

Temuan Orang Asli living in the forest reserve and environmental groups have been up in arms against plans to degazette 930ha of the forest reserve for a mixed development project.

The Temuan say the plan will destroy 97% of the forest reserve and take away their livelihood and identity as Orang Asli.

The proposal to degazette the land came to light on February 5, when the Selangor Forestry Department 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 any exercise to degazette a forest reserve.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari at a press conference yesterday said the decision to degazette the forest reserve was because 40% of it was “depleted forest” and no longer had the characteristics of a virgin forest.

“So, we are trying to change the area to match the surroundings because in front is the Selangor business capital project by PKNS and next to it is a Gamuda Corp project,” he said.

It is learnt that several environmental groups are planning to hold a press conference this weekend to respond to the MB’s claims. – February 21, 2020.