Kota Damansara Community Forest is the oldest gazetted forest in the whole of Malaysia. How was it degazetted and developed until only 600 acres is left has left us bewildered. This last patch of urban forest is over a 100 years old and it is only " A step from the city". You can be deep in the jungle and be at McDonalds, Tesco, 1 Utama or Ikea in less than 15 minutes. 

The degazettement details are given below. Can some lawyers throw some light into the legality of demolishing the forest?

Land Status Kota Damansara

Currently the land status of Kota Damansara Forest is unclear

On the 21^st of December 1993, a patch of forest in the once vast Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve was earmarked and degazetted to be developed into the country’s first National Botanical Gardens.
 

Reference to the Selangor State Gazette under Section 62 is as below:    
 

Selangor State Gazette Section 62 (Reservation of State Land for Public Purposes)

No. 77

The Land reserved for public purposes, to wit, a site for National Botanical Gardens
 

Eventually the proposed site for the National Botanical Gardens was moved to Bukit Cerekah in Shah Alam and over the years the patch of land was left undisturbed and no alternative decision is made on the future of the forest that resides on it. Eventually on the 24th of May 2004, the state of Selangor decided to propose revocation of a parcel of land in the reservation, for what purpose. It is not clear.
 

Detailed reference of the Selangor state gazette under subsection 64(2) is as below: 
 

Selangor State Gazette Subsection 64(2) (Notice for Proposed Revocation of Reservation of Land for Public Purposes)

No. 886

Proposed Revocation of Reservation

District– Petaling, Mukim – Sungai Buloh. Plan No. PW 891, whole area – 402.6 hectares. Area revoked – 53.83 hectares. 

On the 6^th of August 2004, the revocation came into enforcement. Unfortunately the exact area for revocation out of the original 402.6 hectares is unclear. It is currently assumed that the remaining area not revoked from national botanical gardens is still maintained as is until further notice.     

Selangor State Gazette subsection 64 (1) (Revocation of Reserved of Land for Public Purposes)

No. 1619

Revocation of Reservation

District – Petaling, Mukim – Sungai Buloh. Plan No. PW 891, whole area – 402.6 hectares. Area revoked – 53.83 hectares. 
 

Also look at actual scans of the gazette.
 

Benjamin Loh

Malaysia Nature Society