PETALING JAYA, Sept 13 — Faced with public ire over the increasing loss of green lungs, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari today said the state government might have to pay as much as RM1 billion in compensation if it abruptly cancelled development projects in Bukit Cherakah.
The Pakatan Harapan state leader pointed out that the development projects were approved when Barisan Nasional last helmed Selangor under the leadership of its 14th mentri besar Dr Khir Toyo.
"He can't pass the buck... he has to be responsible,” Amirudin told reporters after launching Air Selangor’s Coffee Table Book at the 1Utama Shopping Centre here.
He was responding to Dr Khir, who yesterday expressed disappointment and suggested that the incumbent MB was trying to shift the blame for degazetting parts of the Bukit Cherakah forest reserve.
Amirudin said that many of the the state government's decisions concerning land that were made when Dr Khir Toyo was its head exposed it to lawsuits.
Dr Khir was menteri besar from 2000 to 2008.
Last week, Amirudin said the Selangor government would complete the process to degazette parts of Bukit Cherakah to avoid possible legal action by companies with interests there.
He added that cancelling the 2000 decision would benefit developers more as they would be generously compensated over the loss of their business.
Amirudin also said that the degazettement had been approved by the previous state government.
"If the government does not go through with it, it will be faced with a lawsuit as those companies will lose their business opportunities approved by the former state executive council,” he said.
Two environmental groups had previously taken the Selangor government to court to stop it from degazetting Bukit Cherakah for development purposes and won a temporary stay on August 11, pending hearing of their lawsuit.
