Bukit Cerakah encroachment receives stop-work order

PETALING JAYA (March 29): A stop-work order has been issued by the Selangor government, on ongoing construction works at the Bukit Cerakah Forest Reserve trailhead next to Bukit Bayu in Shah Alam.

The Star reports that Selangor Forestry Department (JPNS) confirmed residents’ concerns that a developer had encroached into parts of the forest reserve, following a site visit along with Selangor Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian, JPNS officers and Kota Anggerik assemblyman Najwan Halimi.

The publication reports that JPNS planning and certification senior assistant director Raffae Ahmad said the encroachment was into a 11.19ha site, and the affected area has since been sealed.

“The developer cannot encroach into the forest reserve area but it did so and action has to be taken.

“We will take stern action on this matter but we will also need to find out what happened during the approval stages,” he was quoted as saying.

The developers submissions had been approved by Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), this includes the land in question.

Hee said: “We have to charge the developer for every tree that was felled here (forest reserve area).

“The developer will have to pay 10 times the market rate for every tree felled, according to the type of species.”

A fine of up to RM500,000 or a jail-term of five years may also be imposed.

Residents in the Bukit Bayu area raised concerns, due to contractors moving into the forest area near their neighbourhood. In a letter to Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari, they appealed to the state and local authorities.

“Back then we did not know who owned which part of the land but after receiving the full details from JPNS, we can fully determine that the developer has indeed encroached into the forest reserve,” Najwan was quoted as saying.

The ongoing development that was taking place on private land had received no objections, he noted.

“It is okay if the forest reserve was not encroached into.

“The forest is a symbolic spot for us in Selangor, especially in Shah Alam, where there aren’t many spots like this left,” he said.

At the adjacent Shah Alam Community Forest, another area where residents have protested ongoing construction works encroaching the boundary of the community forest, Hee said there was nothing wrong in that area.

He said it was because the community forest was not located within the Bukit Cerakah Forest Reserve area.

“If you refer to the map, the construction is far from the forest reserve so we don’t see anything wrong here.

“The residents may have misunderstood. They thought we had allowed development to take place at the forest reserve which is not true,” he was quoted as saying.

The Star reports that the SACF forest land ownership is divided into two parts: state land with no use at approximately 52.61ha, and Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) owned land of 109.27ha earmarked for residential development.

“We hope the state government will gazette the 52.61ha site for ecological, educational and recreational purposes.

“There are not many places left with such pristine forests, especially in a growing city like Shah Alam,” SACF society secretary Alicia Teoh was quoted as saying.

Last weekend SACF is reported to have held a human chain event to save the unprotected SACF that lies beside Setia Ecopark in Setia Alam.