By LAVANYA LINGAN | news@nst.com.my
FROM 54 in 2010: Comprehensive act allows citizens to act as eyes and ears of ministry
KUALA LUMPUR: A YALE-COLUMBIA ranking has given Malaysia a big jump in terms of environmental management in its 2012 Environmental Performance Index.
The country is now placed in the 25th position, a huge leap from its 54th recorded in 2010.
This came as the nation introduced a more comprehensive Environmental Quality (Amendment) Act 2012 which allows the ordinary man on the street to be part of the environmental watch group and report cases ranging from open burning to toxic waste disposal.
Whistleblowers are also given incentives by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry if they come forward to report environment breaches.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said the lack of enforcement officers had restricted the ministry from getting enough evidence to prosecute environmental offenders.
"We need everyone's cooperation. We have limited officers, so, we appeal to the public to come forward and become the ministry's eyes and ears," he said after launching the National Environment Week at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa here yesterday.
"Action will be promptly taken as we are serious about acting against activities which damage the environment."
Amendments to the act also provide anonymity and protection to whistleblowers.
The Environmental Quality (Amendment) Act 2012 was gazetted on Aug 16 and is expected to be fully enforced by Jan 2 next year.
The amendments to the original Environmental Quality Act 1974 now provide the director-general power to issue stop-work orders on projects that damage the environment, which was previously solely under the minister's purview.
For a better enforcement mechanism, officers in the environment department also have the power to arrest those who commit environmental offences and hand them over to a police station.
Fines for environmental offences were also increased from RM100,000 to a whopping half a million ringgit.
"Overall, the amendment of the act focuses on strengthening the management of the Environment Impact Assessment.
"It also provides for a more proactive enforcement mechanism so that the development projects do not harm the quality of the environment and the health of the people."
Present at the launch was Douglas' deputy, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, ministry secretary-general Datuk Zoal Azha Yusof and other senior officials.
Read more: Malaysia jumps to 25 in environmental index - Letters to the Editor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/malaysia-jumps-to-25-in-environmental-index-1.160374#ixzz2tZ9GMwEG
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