KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — Any effort to designate Bukit Dinding, located in Wangsa Maju, as a geosite should take into account technical and scientific factors to support the proposal.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said it is essential to ensure that the area possesses significant geological heritage, scientific value, and unique characteristics.
“The ministry welcomes the proposal to designate Bukit Dinding as a geosite; however, it is crucial to consider the technical and scientific aspects that support the proposal.
“Besides designating geosites, various methods can be employed to protect the geological heritage of an area. Among them is recording the best rock outcrop locations that have been identified as reference and learning sites,” he said in a statement to Bernama.
Bernama previously reported that Bukit Dinding is the oldest rock formation in Kuala Lumpur, consisting of Dinding Schist, estimated to be around 479 million years old, surpassing the age of limestone formations and Hawthornden Schist.
Assoc Prof Mustafa Kamal Abdul Aziz, who has researched Dinding Schist, suggested that Bukit Dinding be designated as a geosite to conserve the remaining ecological treasures in the green area.
Commenting further, Nik Nazmi, who is also the Setiawangsa MP, said that according to the Geological Map of Peninsular Malaysia published by the Department of Mineral and Geoscience in 2014, the Dinding Schist or Hawthornden Schist formation not only exists in Bukit Dinding but also covers surrounding areas, including Desa Tun Hussein Onn-Setiawangsa-Bukit Melawati-Ampang Jaya.
“This formation consists of quartz-mica schist, carbonaceous schist, and phyllite, dating back to the Lower Palaeozoic (550 to 420 million years ago). Rock outcrops of this formation can be found in the mentioned areas and are not unique to Bukit Dinding alone,” he said.
Nazmi added that the ministry is currently working on gazetting Bukit Dinding as a permanent forest reserve under the National Forestry Act 1984 to ensure that the area remains a green zone and acts as a green lung for the surrounding areas.
“Once gazetted as a permanent forest reserve, Bukit Dinding will be classified as an open forest for recreational purposes, ensuring that the current recreational activities can continue, benefitting the local community and the general public,” he said.
— Bernama
