KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh today announced that 45 additional green and open spaces in Kuala Lumpur have been gazetted, bringing the total number of protected areas in the federal capital to 539.
The newly gazetted sites cover 277,663.90 square metres, which is equivalent to about 27.76 hectares or roughly 39 football fields, and will now be permanently preserved for public use.
“These areas are now locked in as belonging to the people through the ongoing efforts of the Special Task Force for the Gazette of Open and Green Areas under the Federal Territory Department,” she said in a press conference at Taman Desa here.
Yeoh, who’s also the Segambut MP, added that the gazetting means these areas can no longer be changed to other purposes arbitrarily and will remain as public spaces for use by communities, families and future generations.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud added that the initiative forms part of efforts to transform Kuala Lumpur into a “sponge city”, an urban model designed to better absorb rainwater, reduce flood risks and mitigate rising temperatures.
“As the city becomes increasingly dense and development pressure continues to rise, the Madani Government has chosen to protect, rather than sacrifice green spaces that are the people’s right.
“This is an important step towards making Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur a “sponge city”, so that the city is not only more flood resistant but also cooler, more comfortable, and better suited to the daily lives of city dwellers,” he said in the same press conference.
The latest announcement builds on an earlier move on February 5, when 494 green and open spaces were gazetted across the city.
According to Yeoh, the ongoing effort is being coordinated by a Special Task Force for the Gazette of Open and Green Areas under the Federal Territory Department, tasked with identifying, assessing and expediting the protection of such spaces.
She added that this task force is actively moving the files forward.
“Otherwise, it would just go through the usual process when no one is actively pushing it. So now we are seeing progress almost every month.
“Once an area is gazetted, we aim to make an announcement, as we want the list to be published on the website so that everyone has access to the information and is aware,” she said.
She added that this approach ensures that protection of green space is carried out systematically, transparently, and without delay.
“Many more areas are being identified and further announcements will be made from time to time,” she said.
Members of the public can check the full list of gazetted sites via the Federal Territory Land and Mines Office portal at https://www.ptgwp.gov.my/portal.
On a separate matter, Yeoh declined to comment on criticism of the “Bangun KL” initiative, which aims to encourage earlier entry into the capital to ease peak-hour congestion.
