Activists Protest Development Of Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) today protested against a plan by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to develop the Sungai Buloh forest reserve claiming that it could damage the forest and destabilise the water catchment area.MNS executive director Dr Loh Chi Leong said 380.6ha of the forest had been earmarked for the construction of several bungalows under the MBPJ's 2020 Draft Local Plan which was released this month.He said a plan to develop the area in 2005 was shelved by the government following public outcry and it then assured the public that the forest reserve would be protected from any further development."We are disappointed because the undertaking given by the state government through MBPJ has changed over time and the plan has to be stopped as it will cause a lot of problems to the surrounding areas."If the development continues, the function of the forest as a water catchment area will be affected and it will cause landslides and floodings," he told reporters here.Dr Loh said the massive floods in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) and Shah Alam which occurred in 2006 were attributed to several development projects at the forest reserve."If the project continues, it's likely that the surrounding areas including Kota Damansara would face severe floods," he said.Kota Damansara Polo and Equestrian Centre Residents Association president Leong Kam Heng said the forest reserve was rich with flora and fauna species which created a balance for the Kota Damansara ecosystem.Any development project would involve the felling of trees which would affect the environment and cause erosion, he said.He said a memorandum on the protest would be handed to Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh.-- BERNAMA
