THE Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR) is expected to be regazetted by May next year, says Selangor executive councillor Hee Loy Sian.
He said the motion for the forest’s regazettement would be tabled before the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES) this month, following the state government’s decision to retract development plans for the area.
“The Selangor Land and Mines Office, Kuala Langat Land and District Office as well as Selangor Forestry Department will present the details at MTES as part of the process.
“However, a small parcel of the KLNFR land will remain under degazettement as 42ha of the 536.7ha will be given to Kampung Orang Asli Busut Baru, which has been pending since 2006.
“About 8.5ha will also be used for a pipeline for the Sungai Rasau Water Treatment Plant, leaving 486.2ha to remain as forest reserve,” he said during the state assembly sitting in Shah Alam yesterday.
The Selangor tourism, environment, green technology and Orang Asli affairs committee chairman was responding to a question from Lau Weng San (PH-Banting) on the timeline and procedures to regazette KLNFR.
“The regazettement process is according to Rule 8 of the Selangor Forest Rules 1988 which is the procedure to gazette forest reserves.
“Under this rule, the entire regazettement process of KLNFR will take at least 120 days,” said Hee.
In September, the Selangor government announced that it would reverse the degazettement order on the KLNFR, which was degazetted for commercial use in May.
The move had drawn severe criticism from various parties, with elected representatives and activists condemning the degazettement.
The proposed 581ha replacement that was gazetted as forest reserve land in Sungai Panjang, Ampang Pechah and Bukit Broga will be retained as permanent forest reserves.
