Chronology of events at Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve

Jan 14, 1898 – the colonial government gazetted an area of 6,590ha under Article 6 of the Selangor Land Enactment 1897 as Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve for public purposes of ensuring accessible sources of wood. 

1908 – Gazetting of the Selangor Forest Enactment (18/1907) and the forest reserve falls under State Forestry Department. 

1929 – a tree nursery and a Forestry Department training centre was established in the north of the forest reserve. 

1954 – Forest Reserve Research Institute (FRIM) set up a number of long-term research plots to study the dynamics of tropical rainforest ecology. 

1983 – About half of the original reserve had been excised for agriculture.  

1988 – Entire eastern edge of the area was cleared for the North-South Highway. 

1992 – 1,600ha was given to PKNS for Kota Damansara township (originally named Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh Jaya).  

1993 – Kota Damansara township launched with theme Living in Harmony with the Environment. 

21 Dec, 1993 – State Government excised 402.6ha from the forest reserve for botanical garden 

3 Feb, 1994 – State Government reserved the area under Sect 62 (1) of the National Land Code for the public purpose of a Botanical Garden to be maintained by the state government. 

2000 – Federal Government allocated RM125mil to the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi) for the National Botanical Garden under the Eighth Malaysian Plan (2001-2005).  

2002 – Federal Government decided to shift the National Botanical Garden to Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve in Shah Alam. 

May 2002 – development proposals for the parcel was published. Residents protested. March 2004 – State Government promised that the land would be left as Taman Botani  

17 June, 2004 – State Government published its intention to revoke 58.83ha of the Taman Botani to the east of the highway for a Muslim cemetery. 

2006 – State Government agreed to lease the Bukit Cahaya Sri Alam (Bukit Cherakah) to the Federal Government for 60 years. 

March 2006 – Friends of Kota Damansara (FOKD) produced guidebook entitled “A Step Beyond the City”. 

Dec 2006 – State Exco member said the area to the east of highway too rocky and unsuitable for cemetery and approved 50acre of Taman Botani for the purpose. 

March 2007 – Earthworks on the cemetery starts. 

Oct 2007 – Federal Cabinet approved RM141mil for the site to be developed over five-year period. 

Dec 2007 – the Draft Petaling Jaya Local Plan 2020 was published, zoning more of Taman Botani for residential development with a small area for recreation (inclusive of the cemetery area). 

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