THE Selangor government has been obeying the orders of developers instead of the people who voted for its, an environmental group said today.

“The developers are not the ones who voted for them, it’s us, the people,” said Orang Asli activist Shaq Koyok at the handing over of a memorandum to the Selangor menteri besar to protest the degazettement of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve.

Shaq is a representative of Pertahankan Hutan Simpan Kuala Langat Utara, a coalition of 15 groups working to stop the government from ending protections for the forest reserve.

“Without the forest, the Orang Asli cannot practise our traditions,” said Shaq.

The police initially blocked the group from entry to the state secretariat but later allowed five of the members inside.

Group spokesman Suresh Kumar said the people had expected a more progressive government than Barisan Nasional when they voted for Pakatan Harapan in Selangor.

“We are not satisfied with how they have treated us as they would not allow us enter the building even though we had informed them yesterday that we would be coming today

“The memorandum was received at the gate of the building by the chief secretary,” he said.

Suresh said it was a democratic practice to hand over a memorandum of protest and that democracy had failed today.

He said it was not enough for the menteri besar to say that the degazettement would be postponed but that it would be stopped.

The Selangor government degazetted half the more than 900ha forest reserve in May but only revealed it to the public at a state assembly meeting on August 30.

The news shocked environmental groups and PH state legislators as the Selangor assembly had unanimously voted last November not to degazette the forest reserve.

The degazettement has since been suspended pending a review following public pressure on Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has demanded an explanation from Amirudin and called for the state executive council to discuss the matter. – September 8, 2021.