A healthy environment is fundamental to the wellbeing of a country and her people, and environmental justice is key to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Corruption and poor governance are major threats to the environment as they enable environmental crime through corruption risks present in licensing systems, monitoring and enforcement, and import/export border controls, among others.
Illegal activities that harm the environment include pollution crimes, unlicenced logging and mining, wildlife trafficking, illegal unreported and unregulated fishing, and uncontrolled production and trade in ozone-depleting substances.
The Environmental Quality Act 1974 is the primary federal law to control pollution and protect the environment, but the complex landscape of environmental legislation in Malaysia also includes the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, International Trade of Endangered Species Act 2008, Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, National Forestry Act 1984, National Parks Act 1980, Fisheries Act 1985, Water Services Industry Act, as well as various state and local government laws including the Environment Protection Enactment 2002 and Forest Enactment 1968 in Sabah, and the Forests Ordinance 2015 and National Resources and Environment (Amendment) Ordinance 2001 in Sarawak.
Time is ripe for Malaysia to reform environmental laws, which should incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation, emerging toxics and pollutants, more stringent standards, higher penalties, and clearer definitions and jurisdictions. The laws should also integrate general principles of international environmental law such as the “prevention principle” and the “precautionary principle”, and switch focus from pollution control towards ecological conservation and sustainable development.
Importantly, good environmental governance relies on participatory decision-making processes, effective and accountable institutions, transparent policies and data-sharing, strong whistleblower protection, and well-enforced laws and standards. Fighting climate change demands a fight against corruption.
April 20, 2022 An environmental coalition is demanding for the government declare a climate change emergency by Malaysia Day. The coalition, Gabungan Darurat Iklim Malaysia, would send a memorandum on the matter alongside pledges to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, next week. Among the coalition’s 12 point demands were for Putrajaya to declare […]
December 11, 2021 The federal government has agreed to compensate states that maintain their forest reserves as water catchment areas and protect them against illegal logging activities, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. However, he said, the formula to determine the quantum for the compensation payment would be studied by the relevant ministry. […]
December 3, 2021 The government has agreed to impose a 15-year moratorium on approvals for new forest plantations in permanent forest reserves in the peninsula. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this was decided at the 79th National Land Council meeting held virtually yesterday, attended by federal ministers, chief ministers and menteris besar. In a […]
Disember 3, 2021 Kerajaan akan membentangkan Rang Undang-undang (RUU) Perhutanan Negara (Pindaan) 2020 bagi Seksyen 11 dan 12 pada sesi pertama Parlimen tahun hadapan, kata Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Beliau berkata, perkara itu telah mendapat kelulusan Majlis Mesyuarat Tanah Negara (MTN) ke-79, Jabatan Peguam Negara, serta Jemaah Kabinet. Jelas Perdana Menteri lagi, […]
November 30, 2021 Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) akan menubuhkan unit baharu iaitu Biro Kawalan Jenayah Hidupan Liar atau ‘Wildlife Crime Bureau’ (WCB) di negara ini. Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim, berkata WCB akan dianggotai 50 pegawai dan anggota polis bagi menyiasat serta mengekang aktiviti penyeludupan hidupan liar. Katanya, biro berkenaan akan ditempatkan […]
October 21, 2021 Pindaan Akta Kualiti Alam Sekeliling 1974 (AKAS 1974) mencadang mewujudkan denda minimum tidak kurang daripada RM5,000 dan denda maksimum tidak lebih RM10 juta kepada pelaku jenayah pencemaran alam sekitar. Menteri Alam Sekitar dan Air (KASA), Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, berkata pindaan AKAS 1974 dijangka dibentangkan di Parlimen pada suku pertama […]
Oktober 12, 2021 Akses ke persekitaran yang selamat, bersih, sihat dan lestari merupakan hak asasi manusia yang perlu dilindungi dan dipromosikan. Menteri Luar, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah berkata, Malaysia mengiktiraf pendirian ini melalui penajaan resolusi di Majlis Hak Asasi Manusia (MHAM) Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) pada 8 Oktober 2021 di Geneva. Resolusi ini julung kalinya bagi […]
October 11, 2021 Malaysia will express its stance at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP-26), scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct 31 until Nov 12. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government’s stance, to be presented at the convention for the first time, was discussed […]
September 29, 2021 A total of RM2.92 billion has been allocated under the First Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) for environmental and water sustainability, said Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. He said that from the allocation, 351 projects, comprising 277 extension projects and 74 new projects, would […]
September 27, 2021 Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has called on the private and public sectors to work together to ensure an equitable and rapid transition to a net-zero carbon economy. He said it is important to start addressing the risks posed by climate change, which he described as “humankind’s greatest challenge”. […]
(Attn: Cynthia Gabriel)