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@ Forest | September-October , 2021

BY THE GREEN DUDE

’ s my land , and I can do anything with it !”

How often have we heard these kinds of statements from landowners that they can do anything they want with their property ?

So what if he hires tractors , bulldozers nd workers to work on the land ? It ’ s none of anyone ’ s business .

Yes , it is your land , but you cannot abuse it ! That ’ s absolute nonsense !

We live in a community governed by an established set of rules and regulations . No one is an island , and I ’ m sure you must have heard of the adage “ Your freedom ends where my nose begins ”.

The local council laws clearly state that any development work , renovation work or agricultural and mining activities will need a permit from the local authorities because of its impact on the immediate surrounding .

Yet , the landowner of the piece of property in Bukit Tabur did not do the needful and did not bother applying for approval to work on his land . He bulldozed it with heavy equipment and clearing it extensively in a susceptible area which is also part of the water catchment area of Hulu Kelang .

The ensuing protests by residents ’ associations and environmental NGOs finally cost him an RM25,000 fine !

The Selangor Menteri Besar clarified the authorities did not approve the clearing works . A stop-work order had been issued , and the machinery was to be impounded by the local authorities .

A property lawyer who is also one of the landowners in the area commented that there are no set procedures to conduct agricultural or land use activities near the Kelang Gates Quartz Ridge , where Bukit Tabur is situated . Bukit Tabur is home to the longest geological quartz formations in the world .

As a heritage site , its unique status is universally recognised and ought to be beyond compromise .

Managing our valuable resources

Herein lies another example of the weaknesses of the authorities in safeguarding our valuable natural resources , an issue that has long plagued our beautiful country .

As a nature enthusiast , I climbed this ridge with my over 60-year-old classmates a few years back . On weekends hundreds of people climb the ridge , and if you want to experience a human traffic jam on a hill slope , this is the place .

And that is another issue that should be urgently addressed . Limiting climbers at any given time should be mandatory as it will inadvertently impact the vegetation , slope condition , fauna habitation and other relevant issues .

It shows we have failed to regulate our valuable natural resources heritage at the risk of losing it for our next generation .

Following the furore over the incident , a group of landowners in the neighbouring site came together to clarify their side of the story .

They wanted the authorities to