Kebun-Kebun Bangsar to appeal against notice to remove animals

KUALA LUMPUR: The co-founder of Kebun-Kebun Bangsar, Ng Sek San, will appeal to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to withdraw a recent notice to remove all the animals being reared at the farm.

He claimed that the notice was issued on Feb 25 following complaints made by a resident in the area.

"We had a meeting with Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil three months ago. The complaints about noise and smell only came from one person, while the other neighbours are very supportive of us.

"We tried to satisfy all the demands and shifted the cows to a shed up the hill, so that this complainant would not see the animals.

"DBKL Health Department checked on us about one and a half months ago and found that there is no issue," he said.

Ng also expressed his disappointment at the notice.

"We have exhausted most of our official channels, and if the problem does not go away, the farm will not have any animals.

"The farm belongs to the people of Kuala Lumpur and we tried to apply for a petting zoo licence four months ago, but have yet to receive any reply from DBKL," he said over a phone interview with StarMetro.

Ng added that the animals were an integral part of the farm to keep pests at bay and also a part of the educational element for visitors, especially children, on the environment, ecology and food ecology.

The DBKL notice issued under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976 was posted on Facebook and Kebun-Kebun Bangsar was given seven days to remove the animals.

The farm is under the Local Agenda 21 programme and had signed a memorandum of understanding between Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and DBKL three years ago as it is operating under TNB reserved land.

Without the animals, Ng feared that would spell the end of Kebun-Kebun Bangsar.

"The leases for the land are renewable every two years, but I'm afraid that DBKL would not renew it if we do not comply with the notice," he said.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Health and Environment Department director Datin Noor Akma Shabudin said the issue arose last year.

"However, now we had received several complaints, DBKL has to take action.

"I have personally gone down to the site and it is a good project. The farm can remain but animals need to go," she said.