IN October last year,Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad, in an interview with BFM radio, promised to gazette Bukit Kiara as a green lung before the end of the year. One year has passed and nothing has happened. There has been no news from the minister on why his promise cannot be fulfilled.
The rakyat has been very patient with him for the past 11 months; silence unfortunately is not golden in this particular case. A little background information would help.
In the 1960s, the federal government acquired 648 hectares of rubber estate land in Bukit Kiara for recreational and ‘open space’ purposes.
Over the years, portions of the acquired land were handed out to individuals and private companies.
The remaining available area now amounts to 188.9 hectares or about 30 per cent of the original. The current size of Bukit Kiara is equivalent to 300 football fields; it is one of the sought-after remaining green lungs in Kuala Lumpur due to its strategic location.
In order to secure Bukit Kiara for our future generations to enjoy what we are currently enjoying, it has to be gazetted.
May I refresh the memory of the ministry and the public that in 2007, the cabinet agreed to gazette Bukit Kiara as a green lung. Since then the authorities have been dragging their feet.
Before this assurance by the minister, there has been assurance after assurance given to Friends of Bukit Kiara by Barisan Nasional ministers that Bukit Kiara would soon be gazetted. But all these assurances that
Bukit Kiara is ‘in the process of being gazetted’ have remained puffs of hot air!
It is interesting to note that the 12-year-old assurance - though unfulfilled - has now become one of the ministry’s 10 major milestones (with no timelines).
The gazettment has not taken place but yet the ministry considers ‘taking action’ as a milestone.Indeed the use of the word ‘milestone’ is a misnomer; the ministry cannot take credit for something that has not happened yet.
Is this not another instance of pulling the wool over one’s eye? The people have waited long enough.
The civil servants and the minister ought to roll up their sleeves and get to work right away to fulfil the promise.Or at least provide an explanation on the reasons for the delay and when exactly Bukit Kiara will finally be gazetted.
DR POLA SINGH
Co-Founder Friends of Bukit Kiara
Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
