In a statement, the PKR president said Amirudin will have to explain why such a decision was made when he attends a meeting of party leaders tomorrow.

Noting that the Selangor state assembly had rejected the proposal last year, Anwar emphasised that PKR was also not informed of the decision. Amirudin is the Selangor PKR chief.

“The PKR leadership had informed the menteri besar to cancel the matter since last year,” Anwar said.

The Selangor government yesterday revealed it had agreed to degazette 536.7 hectares of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve for redevelopment, with state executive councillor for environment Hee Loy Sian stating that the decision was made at the state executive council meeting in May.

Hee, who is the Kajang assemblyman from PKR, explained that the total area earmarked for redevelopment was now 54% of the 931.16 hectares that had been mooted earlier, and had taken into account objections that had been raised following the initial proposal.

Anwar has come under fire from Otai Reformis and the Coalition of Environmental NGOs (COEN) for failing to advise Amirudin to prevent the forest from being degazetted.

Earlier today, Otai Reformis, a pro-Anwar group, said the approval showed that the Pakatan Harapan-led state government did not care about the objections made by various parties, including over 50,000 people, Orang Asli and NGOs about the degazettement.

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