In a statement, the party’s communications director Fahmi Fadzil said Amirudin would put the degazetting on hold until it has reviewed issues that had been raised over the move.
The political bureau, Fahmi said, had stressed that any decision made on the forest reserve must uphold several basic principles, including protecting the environment, transparency and the impact of the degazettement.
It also must address concerns raised by assemblymen and NGOs.
“The political bureau is satisfied by the menteri besar’s guarantee that he will put the degazettement on hold until the state government has considered and explained the issues that were raised.”
During Monday’s state assembly sitting, state exco for environment Hee Loy Sian revealed that the government had agreed in May to degazette large swathes of the forest for development.
This led to brickbats, including by a pro-Anwar Ibrahim group, Otai Reformis and the Coalition of Environmental NGOs (COEN), as well as threats of legal action.
Otai Reformis secretary Abdul Razak Ismail even expressed disappointment with the opposition leader for failing to advise Amirudin, who is from his own party, to prevent the degazettement of the forest.
Hee had said that the decision was made at the state executive council meeting on May 5 based on Section 12 of the National Forestry Act 1984.
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.
On a separate matter, Fahmi said Amirudin explained that the proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) Highway was meant to replace the axed Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).
Amirudin, he added, had also said that they would now have to engage the public for their feedback on various technical issues and on the social impact of the project.
“He assured that the state government has yet to approve the project and that the PJD Link must hold public hearings with all stakeholders first.”
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