‘Trees felled in Bukit Kiara park will be replaced'

The Star

3 days ago

Koay explaining the history of Taman Persekutuan Bukit Kiara during the engagement session. — Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
NATIONAL Landscape Department (JLN) has pledged to replace the trees felled on a slope at Taman Persekutuan Bukit Kiara in Kuala Lumpur.
Its deputy director-general (development) Ahmad Syaharuddin Kamaruddin said the trees were felled to facilitate a new four-storey administrative building at the recreational park.
He said that among the 316 trees cut down were rubber trees which were invasive to native species and affected the area's biodiversity.
'We will replant 614 more trees and 3,733 shrubs in replacing the trees that we have felled,' he said during an engagement session at the Segambut branch office of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in Changkat Abang Haji Openg.
The session was held to brief residents about the building project, earmarked for the Taman Persekutuan Bukit Kiara Kuala Lumpur Phase 1B Administrative Zone. Ahmad Syaharuddin: Some of the trees felled were rubber trees.
It was attended by representatives from JLN, Public Works Department (JKR), environmental conservation organisation Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) and Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) residents who were angry with the felling of the trees at the park.
Ahmad Syaharuddin said the administrative building project was necessary as JLN needed a physical presence to better protect the 188.9ha recreational park.
'Currently, we are based in Putrajaya and managing a park of this size with such impressive biodiversity from there isn't easy,' he said.
'We need to be present here to carry out conservation and security,' he said, adding that the project had complied with both the Social Impact Assessment and Environment Impact Assessment requirements.
Residents, particularly those living along Jalan Abang Haji Openg, were upset by the unannounced felling of trees near their homes at the beginning of the month.
'We heard contractors clearing trees from our houses earlier this month, but we could not see anything from our homes,' Kim Liew, 76, told StarMetro.
'By the time we realised it, the trees on the hill slope near our houses had been cut down.'
Noting that the trees helped keep the area cool, Liew complained that the residents were really feeling the heat now.
Occupying 2.42ha of the park, the building situated at Changkat Abang Haji Openg is intended to establish a Federal Park administration and management centre that plans, executes and manages activities under the Federal Park programme.
The building will incorporate a management office, a visitor interpretation centre, a nursery and parking facilities.
FoBK president Leon Koay said the group had urged JLN to adopt a conservation-first approach for the development project.
'Our recommendation to the department was to keep as many trees as they could when constructing the building.
'We were also taken aback when we learned about the tree clearing that happened earlier this month,' he said.
A JKR representative affirmed that they had adhered to all permit requirements to commence the land clearing.
'The building project is expected to take 130 weeks and is due for completion on July 5, 2027,' he confirmed.
Residents also voiced concerns about potential soil erosion in the area during a downpour.
Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, who was also present, said she would call a meeting with DBKL and Jalan Abang Haji Openg Rukun Tetangga to ensure appropriate mitigation measures were implemented.