Who approved the durian farm at Bukit Cerakah Forest Reserve?

By Nizam Zain

SHAH ALAM – The Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve behind the Taman Bukit Bayu U10 bungalow units has been encroached for commercial farming.

The approximately half acre of Shah Alam National Botanical Garden next to the luxury property was not only intruded, it has also been deforested and allegedly turned into an illegal black thorn durian farm.

An observation by MalaysiaGazette at Taman Bukit Bayu U10 today found that the reserve forest has been cleared and several foreign workers were watering the durian seedlings at the nursery.

Approximately six rows of neatly arranged durian seedlings in black polybags were seen at the area before they were shifted and planted in the illegal farm.

According to the Association of Owners and Residents of Taman Bukit Bayu U10, the reserve forest land encroachment was allegedly done by a resident seven months ago during the Movement Control Order (MCO).

“The reserve forest land encroachment started during MCO 2.0, where some Indonesian and Bangladeshi foreign workers entered the forest and started chopping off the trees.

“At that time, we thought that the developers sent those foreign workers as there was a construction of another residential area next to Taman Bukit Bayu.

“Soon, we realised that the foreign workers we employed by one of the residents from this area to clear the land, extract mineral water, enter the forest, build the fence and plant various crops,” said the representative of the residents’ association to MalaysiaGazette today.

As of today, the perpetrator still fails to provide an answer to the residents’ association on Bukit Cherakah forest reserve encroachment that shook the residents.

“If the person responsible for all these has an approval from the relevant departments, that individual needs to let us know and show it to us officially.

“I think that there is no evidence. When we ask the department, they said that there is no record or application for such activities.

“We also do not have the opportunity to meet that individual and ask him about his doings,” said the association.

THE LETTER

According to the association, the residents found out about the forest encroachment after receiving a letter from the Malaysian Nature Society in their mailboxes.

“The issue was raised after we received the letter. Before this, we were not bothered by the things happening outside our fence.

“We were shocked after getting such letter which provided a lot of information. How could such things happen behind my house?

“Since that incident, we started to be more responsible in protecting the forest, environment and the wildlife as the ecosystem has been disrupted.

“Recently, wildlife such as snakes and monkeys have entered our neighbourhood as their habitat has been invaded,” he said.

The association does not reject the possibility that the illegal farming activities in the forest reserve have affected the stability of the land as many old trees have been irresponsibly chopped off.

“These trees is the root to earth stability. When they are simply removed, they can no longer support the earth and may cause land erosion and landslide,” he said.

Taman Bukit Bayu has a hiking trail and among the earliest people who reported the land encroachment were hikers outside the residential area.

“We have a route to Bukit Sapu Tangan and there is a dam behind the forest reserve.

“One of the hikers may have seen such activities, took pictures and lodged complaints.

“Perhaps, they know that there are residential areas around, thus, they sent information about their findings to our mailboxes.

“The letter also provided a reference number of government agency to whom they have lodged the complaint,” said the association.

Earlier, the officers from the Selangor State Forestry Department and the Selangor Minerals and Geoscience Department have visited the area to get the real picture of the deforestation.

“The authorities came, took pictures and asked us about the ongoing activities there.

“We told them that people entered the forest and cleared the land for agriculture,” said the association.

“We were told that no one came forward to lodge official complaint and they cannot use the surat layang as an official complaint.

NOT ANOTHER BUKIT ANTARABANGSA OR BUKIT MELAWATI

According to the association, if authorities fail to act, the landslides which happened to Bukit Antarabangsa and Taman Melawati could happen to the residents at Taman Bukit Bayu U10.

“My house is next to the hill slope. I am very concerned and afraid when I saw the rapid deforestation.

“There is a chance for landslide to happen. We see such cases in Cameron Highlands, Bukit Antarabangsa and Taman Melawati.

“We want to avoid it before it strikes,” he added. -MalaysiaGazette