The curious case of Bukit Tabur ... and the possible toll of our neglect

PACING my steps to be in sync with the rhythm of my breath, I hiked up the eastern trail of Bukit Tabur to gain a closer look at its widely praised beauty.

As a rookie mountaineer, never would I have imagined revisiting the lush greenery multiple times (weekly) in the hopes of gaining some sort of connection with the ecosystem.

But the purpose behind my exploration was more than just reveling in the natural wonder of such a scenic backdrop, known to many as the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge.

Stretching 14 km in length, the 200 million year old landmark is recognised as the longest and highest formation of its kind in the world. 

Our efforts in preserving the world’s only long pure quartz ridge and its green surroundings will be a testament to how the nation and its leaders push for effective environmental policies.

When clearing activities on the eastern part of Bukit Tabur unsettled environmentalists and local residents last month, it left watchful eyes confused. 

Before we delve deeper into the reasons why, understanding the significance of such a rare source of precious materials is key.

Heritage protection relies on preservation, management and training

“The quartz ridge is a very unique geological site because it contains pure silica oxide, a geochemical that grants the ridge its title,” shared professor of geology Abd Rasid Jaapar.

“It carries an importance in terms of history as well as heritage, and in this case that value is of international importance due to it being the only kind that is above surface (and not partially surface).

“There were plans to have it recognised with a World Heritage status under Unesco, but I believe there are still a lot of things to consider in terms of procedure(s) that would be in effect if it did get listed as such,” he noted. 

The Institute of Geology Malaysia president said the roadblocks may also be in technical terms not just political.

“Some parts of the lands surrounding the ridge are private.

“I think there is already a difficulty there because for our quartz ridge to be carrying such a title, there needs to be a certain buffer zone established to preserve the area from being developed,” he added.

In addition, the quartz ridge in question is associated with the Kuala Lumpur fault zone.

Now known officially as the Gombak Selangor Quartz Ridge, the state is working towards having the quartz ridge listed as one of the geosites in Selangor’s geopark mapping, stretching from Gombak to Hulu Langat, as an alternative.

Then, the plan is to have it gazetted as a national heritage site.

“Once you declare the quartz ridge as a geosite, development is able to be controlled and preservation can be in effect with more sustainable geo-tourism activity,” noted Rasid.

“This way, future generations are not missing out and able to appreciate the precious site for years to come,” he added.

Time for conflict prevention and reconciliation is now

Since there has yet to be any new updates from officials on the process of conserving the quartz ridge, the team has realised the process of gazetting the quartz ridge, in its entirety, may not be as clear-cut as one would hope.

At least for a specific area of concern along the 14 km stretch, the discernment revolves around land status, and accompanying rights dated back as early as 1918 (when it was recognised as a Malay reserve land).

However, it’s best to note that until effective policies are in effect and human activities are sufficiently regulated, there is no stopping Bukit Tabur and the quartz ridge from collapsing.

“Land matter(s) is a state matter and the governing body is the local authority,” said the professor.

“It’s not fair to stop and block landowners from doing any sort of activities on their land, so there should be certain guidelines to inform them of the type of agriculture that can be done.”

He also shared that once Bukit Tabur is declared as a geosite and we are informed about the boundary between development and conservation, “it is best to let the landowners work together with the local community in maintaining the geosite activity”.

“For the Institute of Geological Malaysia, we are more than happy to assist in giving advice in terms of scientific value and stability (the dos and don'ts) in the effort of maintaining the quartz ridge (including Bukit Tabur).

“It’s important to not just talk about the heritage value of the ridge, but also the safety issue surrounding the ridge, which was the reason why local residents were concerned in the first place,” added Rasid. – The Vibes, October 3, 2021