THE Selangor Forestry Department has clarified that the land for a proposed development near the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Puchong is no longer a permanent forest reserve, says state exco member Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
“My office has taken the initiative to obtain confirmation of the status of the land, following allegations that the proposed development is located in a forest area,” Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said in a statement.
“This follows media reports of a proposed development of approximately 68ha near the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, which is located within the Kinrara state constituency and Subang parliamentary constituency.”
She said a joint review with the Selangor Forestry Department revealed that the site was no longer a permanent forest reserve.
“Based on gazetted records, the area was originally part of the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, which was gazetted in 1906 (Government Gazette No. GN743),” said Jamaliah.
“However, in 1926, the area was degazetted as government land and subsequently given ownership (diberi milik).”
She said Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han has been informed of the matter, as he has expressed concern about the proposed development’s land status and had submitted an official application to her office to obtain confirmation of the matter.
“As previously reported, the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) said that it had not received any application from any party to develop the area,” she said.
A group of Puchong residents held a protest last month to object against the proposed development, citing concerns over potential traffic congestion, environmental risks and the loss of greenery in the already dense township.
Meanwhile, Subang MP Wong Chen urged the Selangor government to disclose a full chronology and records related to land near the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve within two weeks.
He stressed that details of the ownership transfer and sale price must be made public, as it was a matter of urgent public interest.
While generally against the development, Wong acknowledged the potential difficulty and high cost of reacquiring and re-gazetting the land as part of the forest reserve.
