27 August 2015: 10 Years Since the Declaration of the Park

Ten years ago today, 27 August, over 107,000 ha of forest reserves in Selangor were

declared as  ‘Taman Warisan Selangor’ by the then Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia together with the then Chief Minister of Selangor.

It was a momentous occasion, with over 500 members of the public witnessing the event.  Protecting such a large area by the most developed state in the nation is an incredible achievement.  The declaration was held at the foot of the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, the keystone feature of the Park.

The declaration of the Park was the culmination of the 2 year ‘Project Towards the Establishment of the Selangor State Park’ spear-headed by TrEES and the Town & Country Planning Department of Selangor.

After the declaration, gazettement of the area as ‘state park’ began on 25 January 2007.  As of March 2010, the Selangor State Government has gazetted

over 93,000 ha as ‘State Park’ under the National Forestry Act, Selangor Enactment, with the promise of gazetting the remaining areas of 15,355 ha, in the near future.  The area gazetted includes the magnificent Klang Gates Quartz Ridge.

Taman Warisan Negeri Selangor, or the Selangor State Park, is the third largest park in Peninsular Malaysia after Taman Negara and the Royal Belum State Park.  It is of critical importance to the residents of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, as it protects over 9o% of the water resources for these areas.

It is hoped that the on-going conservation and management of the Park will be a living testament to the State Government’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection. 

Being situated so close to a major urban area, there are a number of threats that the Park faces including the construction of the East Klang Valley Expressway, un-regulated tourism activity and illegal clearing and dumping within the Park.  Given the importance of this area, the Selangor State Government must step up its efforts to protect and conserve Taman Warisan Negeri Selangor. 

The health and wealth of all residents in Selangor, KL and Putrajaya depend on this Park.  Let’s all get active and involved in its conservation.