Malaysia: Green groups in overdrive to preserve Selangor State Park

isabelle lai The Star 14 Mar 14;

PETALING JAYA: With slightly less than two weeks left to provide feedback over the degazetting of parts of the Selangor State Park for a road, environmental groups are going into overdrive to get at least 100,000 signatures against the project.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) conservation head Balu Perumal said the Protection of the Selangor State Park (SSP) coalition, of which MNS is part, had gathered around 500 signatures so far.

“We have to work 10 times harder. We are taking it upon ourselves to spread awareness among the public and we need support,” he told The Star.

Balu said that based on the latest public notice by the Selangor Forestry Department published on Feb 26, stakeholders could voice their objections to the proposal within 30 days.

The proposal aims to degazette 106.55ha of land from four forest reserves, namely the Ampang, Bukit Seputeh, Ulu Gombak and Ulu Langat forest reserves for the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road project. The Ampang and Ulu Gombak reserves form part of the state park.

More information can be found at selangorstatepark.blogspot.com.