FIFTY-three civil society groups have accused the Selangor government of failing to follow the due legal process when it excised 406.22ha of the Bukit Cerakah forest reserve, and are now demanding that Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari revoke the degazettement immediately. 

The groups, the majority of them environmental conservancy organisations like Biodiversity, Environment, Agroecology, Climate Change and Habitats, which initiated the drive, said the Selangor government failed to comply with Section 12 of the Selangor National Forestry Act (Adoption) Enactment 1985 (Selangor NFA 1985).

Under the section, the state government should have provided replacement land of the same size as the excised area as a permanent reserved forest.

They also stated that there should have been mandatory public inquiries prior to any excision of forest reserves. 

“This is provided for under the Selangor Public Inquiry (Selangor) Rules 2014. The current state government under Pakatan Harapan should have held the mandatory public inquiries before the excision, but they clearly did not, making the excision all the more unlawful,” they added in a statement.

The groups said the final decision on any excision of any forest reserve following the public inquiries should have been made by the state legislative assembly. 

“This step will allow for all key facts to be revealed. Ultimately, the people’s representatives can debate and decide on the matter publicly,” they said.

Bukit Cerakah was named in 1909 and is popular with nature lovers, hikers and tourists.

The forest reserve is also home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including Tapirs, White-Handed Gibbons, and Hornbills, and over 450 species of plants. 

The organisations pointed out that while the steep hills and terrain are great for a challenging hike and eco-tourism, “it is not appropriate for development, which would cause soil erosion and landslides”. 

“The increased siltation may also contribute to flash floods downstream, as evidenced by flash floods plaguing the country, including the recent Baling flood tragedy and the devastating floods of December 2021.” 

They said the state government should learn the lessons of “all the recent tragic events” and the worsening climate and “do the right thing and revoke this degazettement”. 

“The excision does not benefit the general public or the environment, especially when the Selangor state government intends to keep at least 30% of its forest reserves, as stated in the Selangor Structure Plan 2035.” 

The Selangor government had earlier stated the degazettement was made to follow up on a decision by the Selangor executive council on November 20, 2000. 

The groups questioned why it took the state government over two decades to complete the decision. – July 22, 2022.