CLOSE to 6,000 people have signed a petition to ask Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) to not carry out development in Shah Alam Community Forest (SACF).
The petition organised by SACF Society was put online on change.org on June 3.
SACF Society founder and secretary Alicia Teoh said the forest was a habitat for 150 wildlife species, including tapir, gibbon, leopard cat, slow loris, dusky langur and mousedeer.
She also pointed out that the forest was an important ecological asset that helped to prevent floods, soil erosion and landslides.
“Development will disrupt the delicate ecosystem balance.
“PKNS’ proposal to preserve merely 34ha or 35% of SACF will cause the wildlife to die out.
“As such all of the forest must be preserved,” she said, adding that about 1,000 visitors would frequent the forest weekly for hiking.
On May 23, StarMetro reported that PKNS and Universiti Teknologi Mara had signed a memorandum of understanding to preserve 34.52ha of SACF.
The forest is in Bandar Sierra Alam and 121.4ha are owned by PKNS. The segment for preservation, to be named “PKNS Community Forest”, will serve as a green lung and ecological corridor.
About 70% of SACF belongs to PKNS for future commercial development while the remaining land belonging to Selangor government is for burial grounds.
The society’s worries were heightened after a proposed road-cutting initiative through the forest – to connect Section U13 and Section U10 – was revealed in the Shah Alam Local Draft Plan 2035.
Teoh said PKNS had conducted a social impact assessment for the development but so far, no findings had been revealed.
“Don’t they have other land banks to develop?” she asked.
When contacted by StarMetro, a PKNS spokesperson said a statement on the matter would be issued soon.
