Clearing works being done at the Bukit Kiara public park in Kuala Lumpur are to ensure it stays a green lung reserve.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heungsaid the national landscape agency was building a perimeter fencing to protect the park from illegal encroachment.
“They have to clear a path to bring the equipment and material for the fencing and that is why we can see some activities going on there,” he said at a press conference after visiting The Star Property Fair 2012 here yesterday.
Chor was accompanied by Star Publications (M) Bhd chief executive officer and managing director Ho Kay Tat and executive director Tan Sri Kamal Hashim.
Bukit Kiara Park is very popular with residents of Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Desa Hartamas, and each day hundreds of people walk up and down the hill for exercise amidst a lush forest.
Residents had expressed concern that the clearing works were a prelude to commercial development.
Expressing his appreciation to The Star for highlighting the matter, Chor assured the public that the Bukit Kiara park area, covering some 189ha, will be maintained as a green lung.
To stress the point, Chor said the Government wanted Measat to move its satellite equipment out of the park and had offered the company a new location.
Once that is done, the area will be fully maintained as a public park and more will be done to enrich the flora and fauna, he said.
“Once they move out, we can then gazette the green lung as a public park to be called Big Scale Public Park,” he said.
On the invitation to join the Save Bukit Kiara Walk tomorrow, Chor said he was unable to attend but would be happy to receive the memorandum from the residents.
