Heavy Police Presence Bars Ngos Trying To Submit Klnfr Memo

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Representatives from the Defend Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (PHSKLU) coalition were barred from reaching the Selangor state government office today after police set up roadblocks along the main road leading to the location.
Journalists and representatives from the coalition were also stopped by the police who cordoned off a junction at Persiaran Sultan, citing security concerns.
Police eventually allowed five representatives from PHSKLU coalition to go through and submit their memorandum.
The memorandum was to demand the Selangor government to immediately cancel the degazettement of half of Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR).
They were greeted by Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari’s chief private secretary Mohd Hidayat Mohd Sauffi, who accepted their memorandum at the gate of the state government building.
“He (Hidayat) told us he will bring the matter to the attention of the MB,” PHSKLU coalition spokesperson Suresh Kumar said at a press conference held after the submission of the memorandum.

 During the press conference, authorities were seen filming PHSKLU representatives who were speaking to the media.

The coalition said Amirudin's recent remarks that he will delay the degazettement was meaningless, and demand an official cancellation of the degazettement instead.
“We don’t want the MB to come out and say (it is being) delayed and so on. Malaysians are smart enough to comprehend the definitions of these political words.
“Delay has no meaning; the forest reserve has been degazetted, so what did he mean by saying ‘delay’?
“I hope they will cancel it,” Suresh said.
The coalition also felt the heavy police presence today was excessive and was disappointed with how the state government and the police handled the situation.
“We also complained to the chief private secretary (Hidayat) of how they were handling the memorandum handover today.
“He told us there is a security concern, and the decision (of cordoning off the main road) was made after the recommendation from police.
“But the police told us earlier that the roadblock was done after they were advised by the MB,” Suresh said.

 Suresh criticised the state government and police actions, saying that handing memorandums to the government is a common democratic exercise in Malaysia which should not be met with such treatment.

Aside from the main demand of cancelling KLNFR’s degazettement, PHSKLU, which comprises 15 NGOs, also urged the Selangor government to cease any more forest encroachment.
“We also demand that rather than finding more ways to destroy nature, the Selangor government should instead find ways to preserve all forests in the state, as it was voted by the state assembly last November in Motion No 26 (2020),” the memo read.
The Selangor state assembly approved the motion, urging the state government to protect and preserve gazetted forest reserves in the state.
Shaq Koyok, an Orang Asli representative of the coalition, said it should be the state government’s duty to protect and preserve the forests and wildlife in Selangor.
“Instead, they are leading the onslaught to destroy the forests and denying the rights of Orang Asli in those forest areas,” he said at the press conference.

 Shaq said the area has been inhabited by Orang Asli for a long time, and there are at least five Orang Asli villages in the area.

He was disappointed by how the state government treats the Orang Asli community and disgusted by how some are branding them as a stumbling block to development.
“We the people elected you to be the state government; you would not have been here if it wasn’t for our votes.
“So, the government should listen to the people’s voices when we have been asking you to stop the degazettement of KLNFR since last year’s town hall session.
“What we are seeing now is the government isn’t listening to the people, it is only listening to the developers.
“It’s not the developers who voted for you; we the people are the ones who voted you in, so why not listen to us,” he said.
Police were later seen removing the roadblock at around 12 noon after the handover of the memorandum and the ensuing press conference ended. - Mkini

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