KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — The Cabinet yesterday agreed to hand-over 26.4 hectares of land at Taman Tugu worth about RM1.87 billion to the National Heritage Trust (AWAN) to be conserved as green lungs, said Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad.

He said the area would be gazetted as a rainforest park and is aimed to preserve Taman Tugu as a tropical forest area.

"AWAN is a special body established to manage and protect  Taman Tugu, and when the land is surrendered to the trust agency this would mean that this piece of land cannot be sold, developed and mortgaged,” he told reporters after his ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

AWAN was established following a collaboration between the Federal Territories Ministry, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Khazanah Nasional. 

According to Khalid, the forest rehabilitation would be carried out before the land is handed over to AWAN.

 Khalid said about 13.6 hectares of land near Taman Tugu was being maintained as a green area, making the total 40 hectares for the green lung project. — Bernama