MORE than 43,500 objections have been filed against Selangor’s plan to cut down and develop a critical forest reserve in Kuala Langat, said a coalition of civil society groups.

These objections include more than 13,000 individual letters submitted to the Forestry Department, which is collecting public feedback on the plan to cut down 97% of the Kuala Langat north forest reserve (HSKLU).

The rest of the objections are via signatures on petitions launched by the Coalition to Protect Selangor’s Forest, which is heading the campaign to stop the state from carrying out the plan.

Selangor wants to cut down and develop 931ha of the peat swamp forest which borders Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, Putra Heights and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to make way for “mixed development”.

The coalition had also submitted two requests along with the objections, said its spokesman, Leela Panikkar.

The first request is that the department extends the objection period by 30 more days and the second, that it accepts objections from outside Kuala Langat.

“Many people in Kuala Langat are not aware of the issue but many, who when made aware of the proposed degazettement, signed the objection letters,” Leela told The Malaysian Insight.

“Thirty days is too short to get all the facts. The proposed size of the degazettement is large. We have also not been given enough time or information to study the impact of the degazettement.

“Secondly, the forest reserve is of national interest. Objections should not be restricted to Kuala Langat residents only. The Sepang district is less than 10km away but its residents are unable to object.

“HSKLU is a priceless state resource. Everyone in Selangor should have a say in the state’s proposal.”

The plan was announced in a notice in two newspapers inviting stakeholders in the Kuala Langat district to voice their objections to the plan to degazette the forest as a permanent reserve within 30 days.

Today, is the deadline for objections. By state law, public opinion must be sought before an exercise to degazette a forest reserve is carried out.

Degazettement is the first critical step towards removing the forest’s protected status and opening it to exploitation.

HSKLU is a water-catchment area for Sg Langat and Klang. It is important for flood mitigation and regulating the climate in neighbouring Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and Sepang.

The forest has also been home for a century to about 2,000 Orang Asli in four villages.

The tribes have submitted their objections separately to the department on February 26.

If their request for an extension to the public objection period is turned down, the coalition will prepare to attend public hearings which are the next phase.

“The state will set up a committee and decide who they will invite to attend the hearings, whether it is just Kuala Langat residents or people from outside.”

The coalition will continue gathering information and prepare documents to strengthen their case against degazettement.

“For example, we want to show the Orang Asli connection to the forest and how long that connection has existed,” said Leela.

“We also want to come up with more information on the importance of the forest to the surrounding area and why it shouldn’t be de-gazetted.

“We will also keep providing information to the public so that more and more people are aware of its importance and to keep up the pressure on the state government.” – March 5, 2020.