featureOnly 20 minutes from the Kuala Lumpur city centre, an irreplaceable national treasure is being completely eliminated.

The Bukit Sungai Putih Permanent Forest Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary is, at this very moment, being destroyed, despite a public commitment by the Selangor state government to preserve it as a vital green lung for the Klang Valley. This promise, in response to the 1996 public outcry, appears easily made and now, easily broken.

Within recent weeks the irreplaceable giants of the million-year-old tropical forest have been remorselessly felled to leave a hundred acres of barren, dusty slopes. And as you read this article become aware of the bulldozers ripping out these priceless heirlooms at a frenzied pace, round the clock. Why, we might ask, is there such haste?

After all, the value of this national treasure was first formally recognised in 1932 when Bukit Sungai Putih was gazetted both as a Permanent Forest Reserve and Wildlife Reserve. It is an ecological storehouse of at least 20 species of non-commercial plants, 140 species from 38 families of commercial timber and at least 45 species of birds and exotic mammals.

Bukit Sungai Putih also forms part of the vital main range watershed serving the Klang Valley. And in planning for the future, the Kajang Structure Plan clearly marks out Bukit Sungai Putih as a forest reserve and green lung. So what is going on?

The scandal of this forest destruction first surfaced in July 1996 when alarmed residents launched a public protest. Their investigations revealed that, unknown to many, the Selangor state government under then Mentri Besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib had degazetted 69 percent of this forest reserve.

A state-owned subsidiary, Kemas Anggun, was directly involved in the development of this forest for housing. For reasons best known to themselves, this state-owned company has changed its name twice, to G-Two and now Kemajuan Bukit Segar.

Conflict of interest

They further learnt that this state-owned company heads the consortium set up to develop the degazetted area and which initially parcelled the land into lots of less than 50 acres, apparently to avoid EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) compliance. What's more, in the 1996 clearing, the company involved in felling the forest adjacent to Taman Awana, Jiwah Mewah, blatantly ignored the guidelines laid down for hill-clearing of 20 percent gradient or more.

After the 1996 protests, a macro EIA was commissioned on the 305 ha that had been earmarked for 'development'. This report warned that eight out of the 15 plots were "high-risk areas" because they are on steep slopes of a gradient more than 30 degrees. It warned that "they should be avoided as development areas due to their proximity to the drainage divide and potential landslips and erosion".

The EIA also warned of the possibility of flooding that could result from such large-scale land clearance. Residents then discovered that the clearing was actually illegal because the building plan had not yet been approved by the Hulu Langat Municipal Council.

As a result of our complaint, in 1997, the Anti-Corruption Agency "felt sufficiently concerned to investigate the question of land acquisition in Bukit Sungai Putih." (NST, July 7, 1997)

On July 29, 1996, some 500 residents took part in a protest walk to the deforested site. As a result, Jiwa Mewah was asked to stop work by the authorities. The Malayan Nature Society, Worldwide Fund For Nature and Forest Research Institute of Malaysia expressed support for the proposal to turn the forest into an educational and recreational park.

Promise broken

In June 1997, the new Selangor Mentri Besar, Abu Hassan Omar, announced that: "We will no longer allow gazetted forest reserves to be opened up for housing, commercial or agricultural purposes" (NST, June 19, 1997).

At the same time, state executive members, Fuad Hassan and Ch'ng Toh Eng said that Bukit Sungai Putih was an important green lung for the Klang Valley and that they would be meeting the developer involved in land clearance there. (NST, June 26, 1997)

While work was halted on the Taman Awana side, the developers began work on the Taman Segar side of the forest. In the last few years, this 'development' has contributed to the collapse of at least seven monsoon drain walls in Taman Cuepacs Phase I as well as severe flooding.

On Dec 9, 1998, Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding revealed that two developers - G-Two Assets Sdn Bhd and Kolektra Recreation Sdn Bhd - had not been complying with the EIA conditions to construct sufficient silt traps. In addition, the local authorities had not been monitoring and enforcing the conditions of the EIA.

On Jan 27, 1999, Ch'ng Toh Eng, as state environment representative, and representatives of the local council assured residents that the authorities would be meticulously monitoring the situation.

However, just one month later on March 9, 1999, a heavy downpour caused a mud flood that damaged property in houses along the monsoon drain in Taman Cuepacs Phase I. As a local resident put it: "It was as if a dam had burst."

Up until today, the developer has not compensated the residents who suffered thousands of ringgit in losses as a result of the mud flood. Never before had even the heaviest of rains caused flooding in the housing area.

On March 16, Ch'ng blamed the developer for not carrying out land-clearing in phases as recommended by the macro-EIA (NST, March 17, 1999). It must be pointed out the developer happens to be the state-government subsidiary of which Ch'ng is a part!

On May 14, 1999, the developer Kemajuan Bukit Segar Sdn Bhd was charged in the Ampang magistrate's court with failing to comply with a notice issued by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council to ensure it had effective silt traps. The company was subsequently fined RM25,000.

On Nov 16, 1999, it was further reported that construction work by Kemajuan Bukit Segar had been delayed due to financial problems! (NST, Nov 16, 1999)

By encroaching on this wildlife sanctuary, the Selangor state government has flouted the National Policy on Biological Diversity launched in April 1998. Under the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry's Assessment of Biological Diversity in Malaysia, Bukit Sungai Putih Wildlife Reserve is listed as one of the protected areas. Under the law, the state government cannot degazette a wildlife sanctuary without federal approval.

On Dec 9, 1998, Environment Minister Law told the press that the Wildlife and National Parks Department was investigating if the Bukit Sungai Putih Wildlife Sanctuary had been encroached into by the projects (NST, Dec 9, 1998).

Ample land for housing

In 1996, the state government tried to placate the public by saying the development was for low-cost housing. It is now clear that this is not the case but is for more speculative purposes.

Even if it were so, there are many good reasons why we ought not destroy a permanent forest reserve:

- There are already many barren hills and cleared land all along Jalan Cheras up to Kajang where no development has taken place;

- Property development in the vicinity, for example, Venice Hill Condominium, has only had an occupancy rate of less than 20 percent ever since it started, showing that it has been bought for speculation rather than need;

- Selangor has adequate vacant lowland and has the biggest number of golf courses (50) in the country;

- The local government has failed miserably to provide and maintain basic infrastructure for the existing housing estates - well-paved roads, stable electricity and clean water supply, proper sewage discharge, rubbish collection, well-regulated traffic, playgrounds and parks, etc. They have no credibility in saying they can cope with more housing estates.

So many issues raised and questions posed and as yet no credible answers.

Where is the transparency and accountability we have a right to expect, where is the fulfillment of promises?

Why is the priceless heritage of many being destroyed, apparently for the speculative gains of a few?

Has the state government the courage to use this opportunity, as stewards of this heritage, to halt all clearing and regazette what is left of Bukit Sungai Putih?

Dr KUA KIA SOONG is the coordinator of Save Bukit Sungai Putih Forest Committee.