Hee (right) and MPKj councillor Lim Kim Eng looking at the bund under construction at Bukit Enggang.
The massive earthworks at Bukit Enggang in Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor, is to facilitate construction of a 30m-wide bund along a lake.
Selangor executive councillor Hee Loy Sian, who is state tourism, environment, green technology and Orang Asli affairs committee chairman, said there was a proposal to develop a resort on top of the hill.
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As part of the requirement for development approval, Hee said the developer was asked to upgrade the existing bund that was near the proposed project site as a safety precaution.
“Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) gave the approval for improvement works on the bund in April.
“Bukit Enggang comprises some 500 individually owned plots of land. It does not belong to the state.
A 30m-wide bund is being constructed by the lake near the proposed project site. — Photos by LOW LAY PHON
“The land was subdivided and awarded to civil servants in the 1980s and 1990s,” he said, adding that the road on the hill was built back then too.
Because of its hilly terrain, Hee said, many owners did not develop the land and it turned into a hiking spot thanks to its unspoilt natural environment.
“Now, there is an application for development on top of the hill and it is being considered,” he said after visiting the site.
Hee said there were many complaints from hikers in the last couple of months because of the earthworks, fearing that it would damage the environment.
“Hiking activities will not be affected by the development, as heavy machinery will be brought into the construction site via a different route and not from Persiaran SL 7a, which is the start of the hiking trail.
“However, there are also illegal sand mining activities on the hill and the culprits need to be stopped.
“I believe the lorries involved in the sand mining activities are the ones using the main road leading to the hiking trail,” said Hee.
Also present during the site visit was MPKj president Najmuddin Jemain.
A representative of the developer, who did not want to be named, said the company also planned to upgrade the entire 4km stretch of road – from the base of the hill near Persiaran SL 7a up to the project site – in the future.
Yesterday, StarMetro reported on the public’s concern over the developments on the hill, which some claim to have blocked part of the trail and was an eyesore to the otherwise serene environment.
They also raised concerns over the lack of a signboard at the site to explain the details of the project, keeping locals in the dark on developments at the hill.
