Kledang hill is a well-known recreational area where Ipoh folks of all ages and ethnicity go for hill climbing, jogging, picnic and nature expedition .
It is a place where unity among ethnic communities could be found through a common purpose of health and environmental awareness.
This has been a popular destination among the over 700 k residents of Ipoh City.
Many of us walk up the hills at various routes known as 4×4, 4×2,4×9, telecom tower walks and the leisurely road walk etc. The waterfall along the hills is a great attraction together with flora and fauna. The eco system supported by animal life and plant life brings a journey of fresh air and closeness to the environment, with its biological diversity.
What has been a gift of nature will soon see the imposition of an unnecessary rule requiring those who want to walk up or hike to be liable to pay.
Interestingly all these decades the local climbers have been maintaining the various walk paths with their own money and sweat.
Volunteers have also been active physically by using gardening tools to make pathways walkable when some gets damaged due to rains or landslides.
Over the decades we never heard the government and or Forestry department ever concerned let alone done volunteer maintenance work.
Why this sudden requirement to pay for permits to use the Bukit Kledang?
Is there a secretive back deal to allow a private company to manage and collect the levies? Is there any truth in this?
Let’s not forget what the State Government wanted to do with Bukit Kledang in 1998/99.
The state alienated the whole of Bukit Kledang to a developer for housing development.
Ipoh residents and hill climbers took objection to this unwarranted, irresponsible and damaging decision and launched ‘Save Bukit Kledang” campaign
After much physical protest the state government agreed to cancel the alienation and gave a UNDERTAKING/commitment to preserve the hills as a pleasure place for the people of Ipoh.
The MB’s latest announcement that the permit requirement is “postponed” but not permanently cancelled is a violation of the undertaking given, against public policy and interest and violates human rights. Therefore, it is only right to take history as a reference and abandon this permit requirement permanently with a public apology.
I urge the state government to preserve the UNDERTAKING given.
Don’t take the people for granted and introduce restrictions that would curtail the people’s rights to health related activities and inherent rights to be part of nature.
- Please sign and viral this on line petition– “Reject annual pass fee for Bukit Kledang Hikers” https://chng.it/47GsmLLQ
- Please also support the physical signing of petition ‘Bantah Perlaksanaan Permit Masuk Bukit Kledang” initiated by YB Sivakumar MP Batu Gajah