Who stands to gain from the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve degazettement?

Question

Accepted Answer

Gabungan Indah Sdn Bhd is the selected developer poised to benefit from the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve degazettement.

The Selangor state government's decision to degazette 536.7 hectares of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR) designates the land for commercial mixed development, with Gabungan Indah Sdn Bhd identified as the developer. This move has drawn significant criticism due to a perceived lack of transparency and disregard for public opposition. The KLNFR is a critical ecological area, designated as an Environmental Sensitive Area (ESA) Rank 1 and a Disaster Risk ESA, with its development prohibited under the Kuala Langat Local Plan 2030.
Gabungan Indah Sdn Bhd's Corporate Structure and Background

Gabungan Indah Sdn Bhd, incorporated on December 2, 2020, is wholly owned by Vibrantscape Sdn Bhd, which was incorporated a day earlier and is in turn wholly owned by Perdana Parkcity. Perdana Parkcity is known as the developer behind Desa Parkcity in Kuala Lumpur. Notably, both Gabungan Indah and Vibrantscape are described as shelf companies, each possessing only RM1 in paid-up capital, raising questions about their capacity and the selection process.
Previous Proposals and Potential Conflicts of Interest

Prior to Gabungan Indah's selection, other entities had proposed developing the KLNFR. In March of the previous year, the Menteri Besar of Selangor disclosed that Titian Jutaria Sdn Bhd, a company linked to the Selangor royal family, and Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI Selangor) had jointly put forward a development proposal for the KLNFR. Titian Jutaria Sdn Bhd has since been dissolved. MBI Selangor itself had previously faced scrutiny for alleged conflicts of interest concerning the degazettement application, particularly as the Menteri Besar sits on the decision-making committee.
Disregard for Regulations and Public Opposition

The degazettement of the KLNFR has been undertaken despite significant public outcry and established regulations. Over 45,423 objections were formally lodged, town hall sessions saw overwhelming attendance, and more than 130,000 signatures were collected on online petitions. Furthermore, nearly 1,500 emails were sent to state assemblypersons expressing opposition. In a notable move, 56 representatives within the Selangor State Assembly (DUN), spanning the political divide, unanimously supported a motion to protect all forest reserves in Selangor. The decision to proceed with degazettement, which violates existing regulations, guidelines, plan documents, and international commitments like the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity, has led to accusations of poor governance and a deficit in accountability.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

Who stands to gain from the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve degazettement?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends