PETALING JAYA: The Selangor state government will regazette 97 per cent of Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (HSKLU), Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said.
He said the re-gazettement would involve nearly 40.4ha of land.
Currently, the legal process is on-going before initiating the regazettement of HSKLU.
"The regazettement may happen before the Hari Raya celebrations. However, we must remember that the re-gazettement of HSKLU is not aimed at only development but to protect the Orang Asli villages.
"We cannot easily re-gazette all of the forest reserve because there are some areas that need to be degazetted because they are Orang Asli villages and cannot be put under the status of forest area," Amirudin said after launching the Pasar PJKita in Sri Damansara today.
It was reported that the degazettement of HSKLU for a mixed development project was objected by many parties as it would destroy the forest reserve, which is said to be 8,000 years old.
Last year, Selangor Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian, in his winding up speech at the state legislative assembly, said about 536.7 ha of the HSKLU hax been approved to be degazetted in accordance to Section 12 of the Selangor National Forestry Act (Adoption) (Amendment) Enactment 1985.
Hee had said the decision to degazette parts of the HSKLU by the Selangor government was made after taking into consideration objections, the interest of the Orang Asli and the forest reserve's biodiversity.