The Star
1-1-2008
Jan 14, 1898
The colonial government gazetted an area of 6,590ha under Article 6 of the Selangor Land Enactment 1897 as Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve for public purposes of ensuring accessible sources of wood.
1908
Gazetting of the Selangor Forest Enactment (18/1907) and the forest reserve falls under State Forestry Department.
1929
A tree nursery and a Forestry Department training centre was established in the north of the forest reserve.
1954
Forest Reserve Research Institute (FRIM) set up a number of long-term research plots to study the dynamics of tropical rain forest ecology.
1983
About half of the original reserve had been excised for agriculture.
1988
The entire eastern edge of the area was cleared for the North-South Highway.
1992
One thousand six hundredd (1,600) hectors of the forest were given to PKNS for Kota Damansara township (originally named Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh Jaya).
1993
Kota Damansara township launched with theme Living in Harmony with the Environment.
21 Dec, 1993
State Government excised about four hundred and three (403) hectors from the forest reserve for botanical garden
3 Feb, 1994
State Government reserved the area under Sect 62 (1) of the National Land Code for the public purpose of a Botanical Garden to be maintained by the state government.
2000
Federal Government allocated RM125mil to the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) for the National Botanical Garden under the Eighth Malaysian Plan (2001-2005).
2002
Federal Government decided to shift the National Botanical Garden to Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve in Shah Alam.
May 2002
The development proposals for the above parcel of land was published. Residents protested.
March 2004
State Government promised that the land would be left as Taman Botani
17 June, 2004
State Government published its intention to revoke about fifty nine (59) hectors of the Taman Botani to the east of the highway for a Muslim cemetery.
March 2006 – Friends of Kota Damansara (FOKD) produced guidebook entitled “A Step Beyond the City”.
Dec 2006 – State Exco member said the area to the east of highway too rocky and is unsuitable for cemetery and approved fifty (50) hectors of Taman Botani for the purpose.
March 2007 – Earthworks on the cemetery starts.
Oct 2007 – Federal Cabinet approved RM141mil for the site to be developed over five-year period.
Dec 2007 – the Draft Petaling Jaya Local Plan 2020 was published, zoning more of Taman Botani for residential development with a small area for recreation (inclusive of the cemetery area).