SHAH ALAM, Aug 10 — Local authorities have been told to identify vacant utility and reserve land on which to host agricultural activities like community gardens, state executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato’ Izham Hashim told the Selangor State Legislative Assembly here today.
He said it would prevent these plots of land from being trespassed upon and taken over by third parties like illegal immigrants.
He added that these vacant areas identified by local authorities may be leased for community gardens, urban farming programmes, and private agriculture players.
“(The local authorities) include PKPS (Selangor Agriculture Development Corporation) in executing agricultural programmes so (the land) is used more systematically,” he explained in response to a supplementary question by Kota Damansara assemblyman Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim during the state assembly sitting today.
Izham, who is also Pandan Indah assemblyman, added that 66 community gardens sprang up last year, compared with only 39 in 2024, with yields rising from 33.64 tonnes to 49.9 tonnes.
“More than 200 community gardens have been set up … expanding community participation in urban farming activities,” he said.
Community gardening in Selangor started in Subang Jaya under the local council’s purview in 2013, before other councils adopted the initiative in phases under Local Agenda 21, which aims to encourage urban farming.
