Bukit Kiara has long been the green lungs of Kuala Lumpur – a sanctuary where the pulse of the city slows and the rhythm of nature takes over.
For decades, hikers, walkers, and cyclists have sought refuge under its lush canopy, finding solace in its biodiversity and the cooling embrace of its flora and fauna.
But today, that sanctuary is under siege.
In a tragic irony that defies logic, the very agency entrusted to be the ‘guardians of our hills and forests’ – the National Landscape Department – has become the primary architect of its degradation.
The “botak” hill: A monument to poor planning
What was once a vibrant slope of green has been reduced to a “botak” (barren) wasteland. By choosing a steep incline for its new administrative office and opting for total land clearing rather than integrated preservation, the National Landscape Department has committed what can only be described as the “rape” of Bukit Kiara.
The consequences of this environmental hubris were laid bare on April 18. A heavy downpour transformed the site into a disaster zone. Muddy water, unrestrained by the felled trees that once held the soil in place, breached an earth bund and sent a merciless torrent into the homes of residents along Jalan Abang Haji Openg.
The sight of a road sign lying face down in the mud, flanked by collapsed hoarding, is a poignant symbol of a community that feels abandoned by those meant to protect them.
Swift action in the eye of the storm
While the project itself is a failure of foresight, the immediate response to the crisis was a rare example of governance in action. At midnight, in the pouring rain, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud were on site, assessing the damage.
Their swift intervention – issuing an immediate stop-work order, imposing compounds on the contractor, and establishing a Kuala Lumpur City Hall control centre – is highly commendable.
The project, by the National Landscape Department of the Housing and Local Government Ministry, is being implemented by the Public Works Department under the Works Ministry.
It is heartening to see that the protection of the environment has reached the top echelons of leadership. The minister’s directive to review all slope development in the area and introduce phased earthwork guidelines is a necessary step. However, while we applaud the “firefighting”, we must now address the “arsonist”.
The way forward: A sacrifice for the public good
The National Landscape Department’s project is a “sore thumb” in a landscape that should remain a natural heritage. Residents of Taman Tun Dr Ismail and the thousands of Malaysians who cherish Bukit Kiara do not want to walk through a concrete jungle. We want the wild, the green, and the untamed.
To the leadership of the National Landscape Department, we offer this perspective:
- Admit the error: It is better to admit a mistake than to persist in a disaster. Scrapping this project is not a sign of weakness – it is a sign of integrity.
- Relocate, don’t ruin: The department needs an office, but it does not need to be on a steep incline in the heart of a federal park. Relocate to existing premises or a less sensitive site nearby.
- Prioritise the taxpayer: While taxpayer money has been allocated, the long-term “environmental tax” on residents and the ecosystem far outweighs the cost of cancellation. Taxpayers should not have to fund the destruction of their own backyard.
- Back down: For the sake of the wildlife whose habitats have been torn apart, and for residents who now live in fear of every dark cloud, the department must withdraw. Sacrifice this project to save the soul of Bukit Kiara.
The damage done is severe, but it is not yet irreversible. We have two years of construction ahead – two years of potential mudslides, silt-filled drains, and resident anxiety. We must take the bull by the horns now.
Bukit Kiara is not just a plot of land – it is our collective heritage. We call upon the National Landscape Department to return to its founding principles: to beautify, to preserve, and to protect.
Do not let its legacy be a concrete block on a barren hill. Give Bukit Kiara back to the trees, the animals, and the people.
Let us move forward by stepping back.