(MY) national zoo shrinking

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Bernama News Agency --

 

August 06, 2007 22:29 PM

 

Gazette Shrinking Zoo Negara, Says Azmi

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- Natural Resources and Environment

Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid today proposed that the Selangor

Government immediately gazette Zoo Negara, saying that the animal

sanctuary has already lost eight hectares of its 48.56-hectare area to

encroachment.

 

" If it is not gazetted immediately, I fear that its land size will

shrink further, " he told reporters during a visit to the zoo here.

 

Azmi said he would submit a working paper on the matter to the Cabinet.

 

" The Federal Government has no say on the land. I can only give

advice. The rest is up to the Selangor Government, " he said.

 

He said that so long as Kuala Lumpur continued to develop, the area

occupied by the zoo would be in danger of encroachment because its

strategic location and high real estate value were a draw for

developers.

 

Zoo Negara, which was set up by the country's first prime minister,

the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj, is a sanctuary for the

breeding of near-extinct species of animals and a supplier of various

animal species to zoos around the world.

 

" This is the most appropriate time, when we are celebrating our 50th

anniversary of independence, to recall the Tunku's deeds and we have

to maintain the zoo in line with the government's desire to conserve

the environment, " he said.

 

Azmi said Zoo Negara had applied for the title to its land about 20

years ago but it had yet to receive it.

 

" It does matter if it does not get the title but the more important

thing is for it to be gazetted, " he said.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

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August 08, 2007 20:40 PM

 

Land At National Zoo Does Not Belong To Selangor Government

 

 

SHAH ALAM, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- The Selangor government cannot gazette

the land occupied by the National Zoo at Hulu Klang because it is not

the owner, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said.

 

However, he assured that the 10 hectare site would remain a zoo area

and not developed for other purposes.

 

" The land was handed to the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Corporation

Malaysia Trustee Bhd (HSBC Trustee) in 1982, but the ownership form

was not issued since full payment had yet to be made, " he told

reporters after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting

here Wednesday.

 

He was reacting to a call by Natural Resources and Environment

Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid for the Selangor government to gazette

the National Zoo area.

 

The land was awarded to HSBC Trustee for the purpose of developing the

area into a zoo and if it wanted to change the status of the land,

prior permission must be obtained from the state government.

 

In another development, he said the state government was concerned

about reports in the newspapers of fraud being committed at the Land

Office and had instructed the Land and Mines Department to investigate

the matter.

 

He said action would be taken against officers who abused their positions.

 

-- BERNAMA