Headline Trampled park MediaTitle The Star Date 20 Nov 2012 Color Full Color Section Nation Circulation 304,904 Page No 1,4 Readership 1,026,812 Language English ArticleSize 747 cm² Journalist Nicholas Cheng AdValue RM 34,654 Frequency Daily PR Value RM 103,962 Trampled park Land clearing to construct an elevated highway is damaging Templer Park, with the planned building of luxury bungalows promising worse to come. Environmental organisations have condemned the two projects and called for them to be scrapped. A heritage lost? Land clearing on the slopes of Templer Park is endangering the once pristine forest and threatening the existence of very rare plants like hopea subalata ­ which is found only in this park ­ and the serow, a goat­like mammal that is very sensitive to habitat­change. Templer Park under threat Rampant logging and development endangering rare wildlife and trees By NICHOLAS CHENG and NOEL FOO [email protected] PETALING JAYA: Rampant logging and devel­ the Government's pledge to hold a moratori­ opment are threatening the natural beauty of um on logging in forest reserves and the prom­ Templer Park. ise to consult the public before any develop­ The Malaysian Nature Society said it was ment takes place in green areas," he added. alarmed over the construction of an elevated Over 39.44ha of the Kanching Forest Reserve highway and the planned building of luxury is being cleared for a 60m­high elevated high­ bungalows in the park. way called the Rawang Bypass. MNS Selangor branch chairman Henry Goh It was reported that the federal project, car­ said approvals for these projects should be ried out by developer Panzana Enterprise Sdn retracted because they contradicted the Bhd, is under the Public Works Department Selangor State Structure Plan and the Selayang and was approved in 2005. Municipal Council Local Plan. At the fringe of the reserve, 6.29ha of hills­ "These projects are completely at odds with lopes at a private lot near BukitTakun have been Headline Trampled park MediaTitle The Star Date 20 Nov 2012 Color Full Color Section Nation Circulation 304,904 Page No 1,4 Readership 1,026,812 Language English ArticleSize 747 cm² Journalist Nicholas Cheng AdValue RM 34,654 Frequency Daily PR Value RM 103,962 approved by the Selayang Municipal Council for said. the building of 60 luxury bungalows. Forest Research Institute Malaysia botanist Nearby residents said they were told the Dr Lilian Chua said the Hopea subalata was a project would involve clearing Class 3 and 4 rare, endemic species found only in the hillslopes of 25 degrees and above 35 degrees Ranching Forest Reserve. respectively. "Hopea subalata is confined to certain parts It was reported that only national infra­ of the forest reserve and has very low adult structure development projects are allowed population densities. This is reason enough to on such slopes. conserve the area," said Dr Chua in a 2004 paper in the Journal of Tropical Forest Science. The Selangor Government had previously Experts believe the bypass project would frozen development on such land pending cut through compartments where Hopea sub­ proper guidelines. alata was found and estimate a 10% decima­ Goh said the projects could threaten the tion of its population. "ecological integrity" of the park, which is a water catchment area as well as a natural World Wildlife Fund Malaysia species con­ servation manager Dr Han Kwai Hin said the habitat of rare species of wildlife and trees. Sumatran serow (Capricornis sumatraensis) "Studies by MNS reveal that the Rawang was a species of goat­like mammal which he Bypass project could affect the rare Hopea sub­ estimated to number about 500­750 in the alata tree population. Moreover, an investiga­ country. tion by the Wildlife Department on the Bukit "They are solitary creaturies with a low Takun housing project confirms that the area reproductive success rate," he said. designated for development is a natural habi­ "They are highly sensitive to habitat distur­ tat of an endangered species of serow," he bance, let alone habitat destruction." Templer Park in danger Hopea subalata trees are endangered by logging for Rawang Bypass. Developer: Panzana Enterprise Sdn Bhd Under.­ Public Works Department Area: 39.44 hectares I At Lot 5070 Bukit Takun Developer: Shining Crest Sdn Bhd Under: Selayang Municipal Council Area: 6.29 hectares Endangered: Serow, Kanchine waterfall.