Watchdogs warn voters rejection in state elections as protest against deforestation
SYDI ALIF
SHAH ALAM - Environmental watchdog, The Green Party (PHM) today warned Selangor government of potential voters rejection in the upcoming state elections as a protest against deforestation.
The NGO expressed its regret towards Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS)'s plan to develop a 215 from an entire 300 acres Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve.
According to reports, the developer envisioned a project involving mixed housing, shop lots and a commercial business centre known as Bandar Sierra Alam.
The proposal was strongly protested by two NGOs - Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) and Shah Alam Community Forest (SACF) who frequently organise hiking and recreational activities there.
SACF launched a petition among its 16,000 Facebook members and has managed to collect over 105,000 signatures from the public protesting the destruction of their community and recreational forest.
On the other hand, PHM warned that the state government's indifference towards public protests especially the local community living around the forest reserve who are also electorates in Kota Anggerik constituency would cause a rejection against PKR and PH candidates as a protest in the state elections later this year.
It had also pointed out that the Selangor Menteri Besar, the PKNS chairman last year had ordered the body to stop any work in the forest.
In addition to that, it was also mentioned that the plaintiff had now filed an application for the case to be heard at the Putrajaya Court of Appeal.
Earlier last year, Peka and SACF took to Judicial Review against the state government at Shah Alam High Court for backdating the forest reserve degazettement date which was reported to have been approved by the previous government under Menteri Besar Khir Toyo in 2000 and secretly gazetted 406 hectares of the forest reserve on May 5, 2022.
However, last November, the Shah Alam High Court rejected both Peka and SACF's dismissed application for leave against Selangor government and several other defendants.
Lawyers for both plaintiffs, Messrs. Raj & Sach will file a stay pending appeal at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya next Monday to prevent the project from resuming to prevent damage to the forest reserve.
