KUALA LUMPUR: The Pertahankan Hutan Simpan Kuala Langat Utara (PHSKLU) Coalition has accused Selangor of making false and misleading claims against the Orang Asli community to justify their action to de-gazette 536.7 ha of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR).
The coalition, made up of 15 organisations, said there was no truth to the state's allegations that the Orang Asli community no longer visited or depended on the forest and that they were supportive of the de-gazettement which would pave the way for redevelopment.
In a statement today, PHSKLU said the Orang Asli community visits and uses the forest on a daily basis for livelihood and welfare from when the KLNFR was first gazetted as a forest reserve in 1927.
"Clearing and developing the area for a mixed development project will destroy the heritage of the community. It will also intensify the human-wildlife conflicts in the area for the community.
"The degazetted area is immediately adjacent to the houses of Kampung Orang Asli Busut Baru. This is one of the largest Orang Asli villages in Kuala Langat with a population of nearly 450. The community has a very close connection to the forest, relying on food and medicinal plants from the forest and undertaking many community and cultural activities in the area.
"Some community members have established small dusuns inside the forest, all of which will also be lost with the de-gazettement. Although their houses are just outside, the loss of the forest and construction of a mixed development project at their doorstep will have fundamental, major and negative impact on their lives.
"There has been zero meaningful consultation with the affected Orang Asli community members in relation to the de-gazettement of the forest," it said.
The Orang Asli community, it added, have repeatedly objected to the KLNFR's proposed de-gazettement after its announcement and had submitted a memorandum to the state government asking for the redevelopment plans to be scrapped.
However, PHSKLU claimed the objections by community members and leaders were met with threats and they were warned that their houses and existing village land would be seized if they continued to support the protection of the forest.
"Some village leaders were pressured to sign a letter indicating that they would drop their objections to the de-gazettement if their villages were gazetted as Orang Asli Reserves.
"Nevertheless, many of the leaders and community members have continued to object to the de-gazettement of the forest over the last 18 months," alleged PHSKLU.
PHSKLU also said there has been no significant fire incidences at KLNFR since 2016, contrary to the state's claims that the forest was also burning and that de-gazetting and developing the forested areas was the best to stop its recurrence.
It said that in 2016, 10,000 trees were planted and preventive actions by blocking drains, raising water levels as well as daily fire prevention patrols were taken.
"As a result, there have been only two relatively small fires in the past five years and neither were in the area proposed for de-gazettement.
More than 300 hectares of the forest area impacted by fire have recovered well with the regrowth of medium to tall forest or planting of trees by the Orang Asli community.
"Clearing and draining the de-gazetted portion of the site will disrupt the hydrology and lead to significantly increased risk of fires, releasing the stored carbon and accelerating global warming.
"Degazetting this site will also be a waste of public funds as approximately RM2.2 million has been spent to build fire prevention infrastructure in the forest reserve," it said.
It added that the area de-gazetted by the state is dominated by good forests with tall trees and high diversity of species.
PHSKLU also dismissed claims that the 957.63ha KLNFR, a mix of lowland dipterocarp forest and peat swamp forests, was not viable for conservation.
It said that a 2020 study commissioned by the Selangor government confirmed it is a High Conservation Value (HCV) area with up to 123 flora and 124 fauna species found.
"The forest is an important habitat of critically endangered plant and animal species, including several endemic flora species such as Setawar (Cheloctus globosus), Kandis (Garcinia mangayi) and endangered fauna species such as Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica) and Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina).
"The endemic Langat Red Betta (Betta livida) is only found in this and one other location in the world.
"Therefore, if the area is split into two by the de-gazettement and the northern portion of the site developed for mixed development, the hydrology and ecology of the remaining area will be severely disrupted and it may not be ecologically viable, at least for larger species," it added.
PHSKLU demanded that the Selangor state government immediately revoke the de-gazettement of the KLNFR, and urged the state to work with the Orang Asli communities and other stakeholders.
"This is to protect KLNFR as a critical carbon-storing ecosystem for climate mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity conservation as well as develop meaningful sustainable livelihoods for the Orang Asli community based on the forest such as ecotourism or edutourism."