PUTRAJAYA: An area of 23.83 hectares in Mukim Petaling, Kuala Lumpur has been gazetted as a new Permanent Forest Reserve (PFR) under the National Forestry Act 1984 (Act 313) effective yesterday.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the PFR, to be known as the Sungai Besi (Additional) Forest Reserve, was to replace the 7.48-hectare Bukit Sungei Puteh Forest Reserve in Mukim Cheras, Kuala Lumpur which was degazetted for the development of the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) on the same date.

He said the PFR was gazetted as a protected forest and classified as a research, amenity and education forest under subsection 10(1) of Act 313 and was also declared as a closed forest under Section 45 of the same act.

"The process of degazetting and replacing the PFR simultaneously was in line with the intention and proposed amendments to Act 313 which the government is working on.

"This process is a manifestation of our commitment to maintaining at least 50 per cent of the country's land area as forest and tree-covered areas," he told reporters after participating in the Greening Malaysia Cycling Programme in conjunction with the National Sports Day here today.

According to Takiyuddin, the Sungai Besi (Additional) Forest Reserve is larger than the Bukit Sungei Puteh Forest Reserve which had been degazetted and is a lowland dipterocarp forest.

He said the simultaneous replacement of the PFR also increased the size of forest area in Kuala Lumpur by 0.35 per cent.

"The ministry hopes that state authorities can emulate this move to gazette more forest areas as PFR in their respective states to preserve the country's treasures," he said.

On the Greening Malaysia Cycling Programme, he said it was organised in collaboration with the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia and Putrajaya Corporation, which comprised cycling and tree planting activities.

Takiyuddin said the tree planting activity was in line with the 100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign 2021-2025 led by the ministry.

A total of seven Cempaka trees were planted on the lakeside in Precinct 19 and the place was also named 'Dirian Hijau Putrajaya'.

So far, 16.5 million trees had been planted with a target of 20 million trees per year.

-- BERNAMA