COMMENT | On Sept 7, I wrote “another day, we lose another part of our precious natural heritage”. On Sept 8, the Selangor exco announced that the de-gazetted Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR) will be re-gazetted.

Indeed, what a huge difference a day makes.

This is timely vindication of organised people’s power against the tyranny of the powers-that-be. We can move mountains and change the course of maladministration of the country if we unite across all divides.

Yes, we should celebrate having won the battle taking a vantage position in the war against the destruction of our natural heritage. But we are not out of the woods yet. Many questions linger. Is this re-gazetting temporary? Can we let our guard down now? What happens when another set of marauding politicians and greedy developers take over?

Is the government committed to maintaining the ecological integrity of the forest, or let it degrade further to serve its vested interest in the future? Who will pay for management and conservation? Who will take the lead in this effort?

I will attempt to answer these questions and propose workable tried solutions based on my experience.

Before that, let me also congratulate the Selangor exco. However, I cannot fail to notice the term...