PUTRAJAYA, The federal government, Selangor government, and Gamuda Land (Discovery Wetlands Sdn Bhd) (DWSB) have signed an agreement to further develop Paya Indah Wetlands (PIW) in Dengkil, Selangor, into an ecotourism destination.
The tripartite agreement involving the Ministry of Natural Resources and Natural Sustainability (NRES), the Selangor State Government, and Gamuda Land was signed in the presence of Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
The agreement was signed today by NRES secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo Kim, Selangor deputy secretary (development) Datuk Johary Anuar and Gamuda Land executive director Datuk Abdul Sahak Safi.
In a press conference after the signing ceremony at NRES, Nik Nazmi said the agreement would take effect until July 31, 2037, with DWSB overseeing the operational and management aspects of PIW.
‘The Federal Government, through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Peninsular Malaysia, focuses on wildlife conserv
ation programmes, while the Selangor Government retains ownership of the PIW land,’ he said.
Nik Nazmi said a joint working committee, to be chaired by the PERHILITAN director-general, would be set up to monitor the implementation and adherence to the strategic cooperation.
‘Matters involving policy decisions will be determined by the Paya Indah Wetlands Steering Committee, chaired by the secretary-general of NRES,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Amirudin said that the strategic collaboration marked a new chapter for the public to discover new aspects of ecotourism at PIW.
‘I believe this collaboration will ensure sustainability, particularly in the management of mangrove forests. It will also serve as a hands-on learning platform for students, undergraduates, and others,’ he said.
Covering an area of 450.76 hectares, PIW was gazetted as a wetland protection site under Section 62 of the National Land Code by the Selangor Government on Feb 17, 1998.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
