Squatters and addicts to blame for Bukit Gasing forest fire
Squatters and addicts to blame for Bukit Gasing forest fire
13 May 2009
published by thestar.com.my
Malaysia — Saturday’s forest fire at Bukit Gasing may have been caused by illegal squatters and drug addicts occupying parts of the hill as their home.
According to Association of Backpackers Malaysia (ABM) president Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou, the Saturday fire is similar to the forest fire that razed the same spot some 12 years ago.
The squatters on the KL side of the hill were staying too close to the forest edge and their intrusion into the PJ side resulted in the forest fire, Wong said.
The fire which destroyed about 2.02ha of the popular forest reserve started at 3pm but was only brought under control after four hours.
Wong said during a site visit on Monday that the fire and rescue services department could not do much as there was no hydrant at the top of the ridge.
He said he was glad that the lookout tower and platform were spared.
Wong said the ABM had sent a team of volunteers to clear the debris and to reduce the risks of further fires.
Petaling Jaya City councillor Derek Fernandez, who was also present during the site visit, said although the cause of the fire was not known, he believed drug addicts and illegals loitering around the unprotected part of the forest could have contributed to the cause.
There has always been problems involving illegal squatters and drug addicts living in the forest area, Fernandez said.
He said Selangor had gazetted its side of the hill which involved about 280 acres.
We need Kuala Lumpur to cooperate by gazetting its area as a green lung so that its enforcement officers can start patrolling and monitoring the area, Fernandez said.
He said to make matters worse, 50% of the 113.31ha on the KL side had been proposed for development under the draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 which he felt would further damage the area.
The lesson to be learnt is that Bukit Gasing, although gazetted on the PJ side, is still prone to intrusions of all the elements of nature on the KL side, he said.
The DBKL must make a speedy decision to provide the necessary buffer zones and gazette these areas so that Bukit Gasing is preserved as one hill, Wong said.
The MBPJ will meet soon to decide on measures to save the burnt spots, especially with the replanting of trees within the next two weeks.
In the meantime, people visiting the park are advised to be extra careful as burnt trees which are still standing may collapse.
