The Defend the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve coalition demanded that the regazetting be carried out immediately and without any conditions.

“We refer to the statement by Amirudin Shari on Dec 2 last year that stated that the Selangor state government aimed to regazette Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve by March 2022.

“We demand that the menteri besar carry out this promise to regazette 1,222 acres (495ha) at once and to stop stalling.

“As it is, the initial degazettement was highly unpopular, with immense protests from Orang Asli communities, Selangor elected representatives, the federal government and the public,” the coalition said in a statement.

The coalition reiterated that it did not accept Amirudin’s statement that there is a need to keep part of the forest to continue the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.

“The urgent timeline to protect this forest during this time of an obvious climate crisis and ongoing environmental degradation cannot be linked to the timeline of an infrastructure project that may take years to develop.”

The statement was co-signed by 16 NGOs, including Suaram, Center for Orang Asli Concerns, Global Environment Centre, Greenpeace Malaysia, Malaysian Nature Society and Sahabat Alam Malaysia.

The decision to degazette part of the forest reserve last year came under fire from environmental NGOs and MPs alike.

The state executive councillor for environment, Hee Loy Sian, had said the decision to degazette part of the forest reserve was made at the state executive council meeting in May last year under Section 12 of the National Forestry Act 1984.