SHAH ALAM: Nine companies will be charged in court next week in connection with the degradation around the Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam Agriculture Park here. 

Besides this, the Selangor Government also announced that local councils would no longer have the power to approve any development projects near environment-sensitive places. 

Beleaguered Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo announced the above measures after an emergency meeting with representatives from the City Council (MBSA) and 15 developers involved in the U10 township here. 

Dr Khir was ordered to take immediate action by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who expressed outrage over the degradation of Bukit Cahaya after seeing the destruction from the air in a 45-minute helicopter ride on Thursday. 

Dr Khir (right)giving a press conference after meeting the developers in Shah Alam Friday. With him were (seated from left) Deputy State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Munid Kassim, State Legal Adviser Badariah Hassan and States Secretary Datuk Ramlan Othman.-Starpic by K.K. Sham.

The Mentri Besar admitted that poor enforcement had led to the degradation.  

“Be assured that not a single developer will be able to escape punishment if their irresponsible action has caused environmental damage to the natural surroundings of the agriculture park,” he promised.  

Seven companies, which were involved in the development of the controversial U10 township adjacent to the park, would be hauled to court next week for carrying out earthworks without obtaining prior approval from the city council. 

Two more companies, which failed to follow specifications under the Drainage and Irrigation Act, such as failure to build proper drainage and retention ponds thereby causing environmental damage to the park, would also be taken to court. 

The penalty for the offence is a fine of up to RM50,000, five years' jail or both. 

Investigations are also being carried out against six more companies involved in development projects in U10 to determine if they had also breached the Land Clearing Regulations MBSA 1990 which carries a penalty of RM2,000 for each offence.  

Asked why no action was taken earlier against these developers, who had violated the 250m buffer zone requirement, Dr Khir said the fault for the encroachment was due to lack of enforcement on the part of the city council and other government agencies. 

“MBSA does not have the expertise to carry out comprehensive enforcement. In future, we want technical officers to carry out periodic inspection in such places,” he added. 

Speaking in Seremban, Abdullah said he would wait and let Dr Khir implement what he had asked him to do to. 

Asked whether the Anti-Corruption Agency was investigating the case, he said he did not think so.  

Source : The Star  5/3/2005