Demand S�gor to explain de-gazetting of reserve land, govt told
Apr 8, 05 4:56pm
Known as �Friends of Kota Damansara�, the task force chairperson Leong Kam Heng said contradicting statements from state and federal officials on the status of the forest has left residents wondering who to believe.
�The federal government should intervene and demand that the state explain to the rakyat how this can happen... how there are conflicting policies on the gazetting and de-gazetting of reserve land,� he said when contacted.
Yesterday, The Star quoted Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting as saying that local authorities who defy the federal directive to protect green lungs and open spaces will be held publicly accountable.
The directive issued in August 2003 by the National Council for Local Government requires, among others, for all green lungs, parks and open space to be gazetted, place those already gazetted under the respective state secretary�s supervision.
The directive of the council, chaired by the deputy prime minister and represented by all menteris besar, chief ministers and key ministries, are binding on all parties concerned.
�Hoodwinking� residents
Leong said that despite such a directive, Selangor �had done the exact opposite�.
�I cannot understand the situation. I think the Selangor officials are trying to hoodwink us while the federal government is reportedly saying something else.
�I don�t know who to believe anymore, state or federal officials. Why don�t they just tell us whether they are going to reinstate the de-gazetted portion or allow development to continue as planned.�
He also cited recent news reports in major English and Malay-language dailies to illustrate the state government�s indecision.
He said a March 5 report in Utusan Malaysia quoted state exco member in charge of housing and environment Mokhtar Dahlan as saying that the state government will not allow any development activity in the Sungai Buloh Forest reserve.
He said another report in The Star on April 2 quoting a state government official confirmed the stand saying that the state will reinstate de-gazetted 60ha land.
The following day, he said, a report in the New Straits Times captured Mohd Khir flip-flopping when asked on the status of the Sungai Buloh Forest reserve.
Promising to look into it, he told reporters that he will have to wait for reports from the Land Office and the Forestry Department.
�In other words, the MB has confirmed our worst fear that the de-gazetted reserve land will not be reinstated,� said Leong.
Since 2003, Friends of Kota Damansara, comprising six local residents associations, has taken up the fight to preserve the Sungai Buloh Forest measuring close to 350ha.
�We are meeting our lawyer next week to pursue with plans for legal action.
Unsatisfactory answers
Contacted later, Malaysian Nature Society executive director Dr Loh Chi Leong said Mohd Khir chaired a meeting with environmental groups yesterday to explain the current state of affairs in Selangor.
�We were given an explanation about the environmental issues that have been making the news in recent months and a lot of issues were also raised by the non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
�Among the issues are the development in peat swamps, the Sungai Buloh Forest reserve, the Broga incinerator, Sepang Gold Coast and the protection of mangrove swamps.�
However, he said, the response was nothing new.
�The answers were rather unsatisfactory and inadequate although they were noted by the state officials, including those from the forestry and country planning departments.
�But we do appreciate the dialogue and hope that it would become a regular feature between the state government and interested groups,� he added.
Loh said there was also an indication at the meeting which was chaired by Mohd Khir that some of the problems were a result of decisions by the previous state administration.
A press release from MNS yesterday also said that the de-gazetting of the forest reserve was in breach of several Town and Country Planning Act 1976 provisions requiring a public inquiry to be held prior to a proposed change in land use.
Among the groups present were the Environmental Protection Society Malaysia, Environmental Management and Research Association Malaysia and the coalition of Malaysian Environmental NGOs. Several journalists also sat in at the meeting.
Police report against Khir Toyo over �promised land�
Apr 4, 05 5:05pm
After waiting 14 years and seeing three changes of menteri besar, 72 longhouse residents have had enough - they have lodged a police report to protest the Selangor government�s failure to allocate them land for houses.
The group representative S Muniandy lodged the report at the Rawang police station yesterday, following a meeting among themselves to reach consensus to pursue the matter to the end In their report, they expressed dissatisfaction with Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Khir Toyo for telling them last Thursday that they would not be given land, but would have to buy their houses.
At a press conference, they showed a video recording in which Khir Toyo - while at a meet-the-people session in Gombak - insisted several times that �only houses, no land� would be offered to them.
Muniandy, who also heads the Rawang branch of Persatuan Masyarakat and
Wilayah Persekutuan, said the decision to reject their claim was made in five minutes.
�Why should we be forced to buy houses?� he asked.
The residents of the Rawang longhouse community were among 292 people who had been evicted from their squatter homes along the Sungai Buloh railway line in 1992. They were promised a piece of land in Matang Pagar, also in Sungai Buloh, to build their own houses.
However, they got no where with the Selangor government which has seen three changes of head to date - Muhammad Muhd Taib, Abu Hassan Omar and Khir Toyo.
Legal claim
In 1996, the residents found that a developer was clearing the Matang Pagar site in order to build low-cost houses. These were to be sold to them at RM17,000 per unit. They protested to Abu Hassan in 1998. It was later agreed that land
would be given to those who wanted it, while low-cost houses would be built only for those who chose to buy them (right).
Even as the promise was not fulfilled, the housing project fell into limbo.
In 2000, the residents were surprised when state-owned Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor began building up low-cost houses on the same site.
This time, they were asked to pay RM28,000 per unit. The majority agreed to take up the offer, leaving the 72 who preferred to be allocated plots of land. �We filed a claim in court in 2000 against the state government, Gombak land administrator and the Gombak land and mines office,� Muniandy said.
The case is still pending, so we don�t understand why the developer is being allowed to carry on with the project.�
He said the group plans to meet soon with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The residents, who are predominantly Indian, also accused the Selangor government of discrimination, alleging that land had already been allocated to those of other ethnic groups.
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