By Mahaizura Abd Malik, Mohammad Khairil Ashraf Mohd Khalid
KUALA LUMPUR: Settlers who have encroached on the Ulu Langat Forest Reserve in Selangor since the 1980s will be granted 0.404ha (one acre) of land each—provided they meet current land regulations.
The decision applies only to those listed in a verified record maintained by the Hulu Langat District and Land Office.
Selangor Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the Selangor Forestry Department had been instructed to conduct a new census, as some original applicants have died.
She said the allocated land would later be gazetted as Malay Reserve Land and that the move would not set a precedent for other forest reserve encroachments.
The resolution addresses long-standing illegal settlements across 154ha of the forest reserve, which had been used for paid campsites, farming, and fish breeding.
Jamaliah said the Selangor State Executive Council had, on March 5, approved a coordinated plan to resolve the issue sustainably.
Under the plan, 43ha within Compartments 10, 53, and 54 will be degazetted and handed over to the Hulu Langat District and Land Office as state land to facilitate legal ownership transfers.
A coordination meeting was held on June 10 to discuss the degazettement process, forest reserve replacement, and public hearings before implementation.
Jamaliah warned that integrated enforcement would be carried out against unauthorised settlements outside the designated area—unless located in sensitive or flood-risk zones.
A review by the state Forestry Department found 120 illegal structures and farms in Compartments 10, 53, and 54, and five more in Compartment 79.
The department warned that further encroachment threatens forest ecosystems, slope stability, clean water sources, biodiversity, and nearby residents' safety.
The Drainage and Irrigation Department also raised concerns over settlements too close to rivers, citing flash flood risks that could endanger lives and property.
Jamaliah said the state government was committed to resolving the issue thoroughly, noting that current challenges stem from past administrative failures that allowed the encroachment to continue unchecked.
"All unauthorised activity must stop, as the area is a restricted zone for safety and environmental conservation.
"We will consult stakeholders, review documentation, and ensure enforcement, relocation, or resettlement decisions take into account social welfare, community needs, and the interests of future generations.
"This matter must be resolved holistically—balancing environmental protection, social justice, and public welfare—without politicisation," she said.
Source : state-grant-land-eligible-ulu-langat-settlers-after-40-year-dispute