Debunking Misinformation
Read the full statement
SELANGOR 7 September 2021: The Pertahankan Hutan Simpan Kuala Langat Utara (PHSKLU) Coalition demands that the Selangor State Government immediately revokes the degazettement of 536.7ha of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve and stops making false claims to justify its action.
THE FALSE CLAIMS
In trying to justify its action to degazette 536.7ha of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve on 12 August 2021, the state government has made a number of FALSE and MISLEADING CLAIMS including:
- The forest is always burning; degazetting and developing the forested areas is claimed to be the best way to stop the fires;
- The forest is all degraded and there are no tall trees in the forest to be degazetted;
- The forest is too small, is surrounded by development and is not viable for conservation;
- The local Orang Asli community no longer visits or depends on the forests;
- The Orang Asli community supports the degazettement.
The TRUTH
The PHSKLU can easily refute the above false claims based on the evidence its members have gathered over many years as well as testimony from the Orang Asli community.
- No significant fires have burnt since 2016;
- 98% of the degazetted area has forest cover and 50% consist of tall trees;
- The forest is ecologically viable due to the unique geographic features;
- The Orang Asli community visits and uses the forest on a daily basis;
- The vast majority of the Orang Asli community support the protection of the forest.
ACTION
The Pertahankan Hutan Simpan Kuala Langat Utara (PHSKLU) Coalition demands that the Selangor state government immediately revoke the degazettement of the 536.7ha of the KLNFR and work with the Orang Asli communities and other stakeholders to protect KLNFR as a critical carbon-storing ecosystem for climate mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity conservation as well as develop meaningful sustainable livelihoods for the Orang Asli community based on the forest such as ecotourism or edutourism.
For more information, please contact the secretariat at 019-569-6964 (Suresh Kumar) or by email [email protected]. This statement was prepared by the PHSKLU coalition which consist of:
- Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
- Five Arts Centre
- Global Environment Centre (GEC)
- Greenpeace Malaysia
- Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Selangor Branch
- MISI: Solidariti
- Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
- Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (KUASA)
- Persatuan Kesedaran dan Keadilan Iklim Malaysia ( Klima Action Malaysia- KAMY )
- Persatuan Tindakan Alam Sekitar Kuala Langat
- Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera (GRASS) Malaysia
- Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam ( PEKA )
- Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
- SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malaysia)
- Treat Every Environment Special Sdn Bhd (TrEES)