SHAH ALAM: The Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve is one step closer to being degazetted after the Selangor Forestry Department today presented its public investigation reports regarding the proposal.
Hee Loy Sian, the state exco for tourism, environment, green technology and indigenous people’s affairs, told FMT the report was the final one to be presented to a specialised committee before the details are tabled at the Selangor state executive committee.
Other government agencies such as the Department of Environment (DoE), Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Selangor Land and Mines Office have already submitted similar reports.
The state government previously announced it intended to degazette 2,400ha of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve with 150ha set aside for the Orang Asli community – a proposal which has received more than 45,000 written objections since February.
Speaking to the media today, Hee stressed that there is still no timeline for the decision on the proposed degazetting of the forest reserve.
“Nothing has been decided yet,” he said.
“This (forestry department reports) is a step that has to be carried out before the state government decides whether to degazette the land or not.
“As for the pros and cons, we will leave it to the exco (Selangor state executive committee) to decide.”
Hee was speaking to the media after handing over RM237,200 in donations on behalf of the state government to representatives of various Christian churches at the Selangor state secretariat building here.
He said the Forestry Department presented its findings to a technical committee tasked with collecting feedback regarding the proposed degazetting of the forest reserve.
The committee, which met today, also consists of the DoE, DID, Selangor Land and Mines Office, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.