The terrible destruction of Shah Alam’s forests is no longer just an environmental issue. It is becoming a public safety crisis.
Yesterday, 92 homes in Kampung Melayu Subang were inundated, an infant and a disabled man had to be evacuated, a carpark in Subang Permata collapsed following a landslide, and both directions of the NKVE between Setia Alam and Shah Alam were closed due to flooding.
These disasters must be viewed against the relentless clearing of forests, hillsides and natural water catchments across Shah Alam.
The destruction of Bukit Cerakah is particularly alarming. Residents have been raising concerns over forest clearing at Compartment 35, near Perdana Heights, since 2020.
The 174-hectare Shah Alam Community Forest, one of the remaining pockets of lowland rainforest in the area, has also faced continuing threats from encroachment and development.
Peka and the Shah Alam Community Forest Society took legal action challenging the degazettement of part of Bukit Cerakah Forest Reserve.
Although the Federal Court dismissed their application for leave in April 2026, the legal outcome does not absolve the state government of its responsibility to protect the remaining forest. The destruction of these forests has consequences far beyond the loss of trees.
Forests are natural flood protection systems. They absorb rainfall, regulate water runoff and stabilise hillsides. Destroy them, replace natural catchments with concrete and accelerate development, and communities downstream become increasingly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.
Peka warned the Selangor government of precisely these dangers on 20 June 2025. Yet, seventeen months later, Shah Alam is flooding again. How many more warnings must be ignored?
The authorities cannot continue hiding behind assurances that pumps are working and relief centres are available. Pumps cannot replace forests, restore destroyed catchments or compensate for irresponsible land-use planning. You cannot destroy nature’s drainage system and expect mechanical pumps to save the city.
Peka demands that the Selangor government:
- Impose an immediate moratorium on forest clearing and hillside development in environmentally sensitive areas.
- Permanently protect and gazette the Shah Alam Community Forest and all remaining ecologically significant portions of Bukit Cerakah.
- Establish an independent public inquiry into Shah Alam’s recurring floods, including the contribution of deforestation and development.
- Disclose all development approvals and environmental assessments affecting the relevant forest and water catchment areas.
- Identify those responsible for approving developments that compromise forests, hillsides and natural drainage systems.
The Selangor government cannot continue sacrificing forests in the name of development and then express sympathy when communities are submerged. Every tree felled, every hillside cleared and every catchment destroyed increases the price ordinary residents are forced to pay.
Shah Alam is not simply being drowned by rain. It is being drowned by deforestation, destructive development and political failure.
Rajesh Nagarajan is president, Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka).
