The action by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) today follows complaints by residents in the area who fear that such dumping of debris could damage the forest reserve which is considered an important green lung in Selangor.
Residents Association Section 5 PJ president Ben Thompson said he had received a number of complaints by members of the public and residents after debris was found inside the forest and signs of clearing work carried out after trees had been felled.
Heavy machinery and equipment had also been spotted going into the forest.
Unsure on who was responsible, Thompson said the residents association had lodged a complaint with MBPJ about the construction debris over the weekend.
“We just want to ensure Bukit Gasing remains as it is. It’s a great source of joy to the residents and visiting hikers.
“It would be surprising if one of the residents would actually do something detrimental to the forest,” he told FMT, adding that construction debris being dumped in the forest was “totally unacceptable”.
Thompson also said that he only knew about such “work” over the last two weeks.
Another resident who spoke on the condition of anonymity said she had first heard about the matter from an immediate neighbour to the “Datuk Seri”.
The resident said she was informed that such works had been going on “for a while”.
“I visited the area myself, and I was shocked. It wasn’t just the land clearing, he had actually tarred the area for a carpark.”
The resident also said that this morning she could hear heavy machinery operating, despite her house being “quite a distance” from his.
She added that the residents were concerned as the sliver of jungle in Bukit Gasing was very precious to them.
“We’re upset and angry that no one was consulted over what he is doing or whether he even obtained permission,” she said, referring to the “Datuk Seri”.
When contacted, Derek Fernandez, the MBPJ zone councillor, said he received complaints about construction debris, trespass and damage to part of the Bukit Gasing forest park around 10.30am today.
He added that the MBPJ enforcement team then visited the site and discovered there was “substance to these complaints”.
“A stop-work order has been issued. MBPJ officers are in the process of documenting all the relevant evidence on the extent of damage and an investigation report will be submitted to the Datuk Bandar for further action.
“MBPJ takes seriously any allegation of destruction, encroachment and illegal dumping of debris in the Bukit Gasing forest as it is a very important green lung and pubilc recreational area,” Fernandez said, thanking the residents and members of the public for their vigilance.