Environment

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3j Environment

Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment through individuals, organisations and governments. The objective of conserving natural environment is to ensure that wildlife within these habitats are not displaced. In addition to this, the preservation of the natural environment can mitigate the effects of flooding as well enable it to continue acting as a carbon sink. However, this has not been the case in Malaysia.

The Malaysian government must adopt a policy to protect the nation�s natural resources. As one of the world�s megadiverse countries, it is important to protect Malaysia�s forests and marine life. This can be done by adopting a mandate prohibiting deforestation for industrialisation and urbanization in Malaysia. Decreasing deforestation will help ensure Malaysia has sufficient carbon sink to offset its greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to this, protecting the forests ensures that habitats of the wildlife and indigenous communities are undisturbed and maintained. The Malaysian Government needs to demonstrate political will in ensuring these policies are implemented as soon as possible as they are intertwined and interlinked with the demand of climate emergency and climate justice. Another policy that could be implemented is a carbon tax to disincentivise industries from polluting the environment. A carbon tax will enable the government to regulate carbon emissions. In addition, fossil fuel subsidies should be reduced to further decarbonise the economy.

Agora Society Malaysia

3j Environment

The state executive council must justify, explain and defend the decision in the state legislative assembly when it comes to degazetting a Forest Reserve. It should be made a bill to be debated, voted on and passed, in addition to the requirement of majority support from the public during the public consultation session and survey. The State Executive Council should not have unfettered discretion to make decisions. Accountability and transparency measures should be incorporated, and the public should be kept informed of impending plans affecting their green lungs and activity areas.

Agora Society Malaysia

3j Environment

Green budgeting contributes to informed, evidence-based debate and discussion on sustainable growth. Green budgeting means using the tools of budgetary policy-making to help achieve environmental and climate goals. This includes evaluating environmental impacts of budgetary and fiscal policies and assessing their coherence towards the delivery of national and international commitments.
State governments should present green budgeting in the same session with the State Budget for the approval of the state legislative assembly annually. We propose state governments go beyond monetary terms in their budgets Annual planning on the management of forest and natural resources is crucial and annual green targets should be set for example treetop coverage, CO2 emission and pollution reduction. Inventory checks and advanced planning for utilization of land and natural resources must be allocated, debated, and approved. This would allow ADUNs and the general public to track, monitor and question the process and purpose of utilising these resources.

Agora Society Malaysia

3j Environment

The project proponents should be asked to set aside and contribute a certain amount of funds for EIA purposes to a central consolidated account. The Environment Department will act on behalf of the project proponent and hire the most suitable candidate in their own best judgment and discretion. Hence, this could address and remove the paymaster�s intrinsic conflict of interest and biases imposed on the EIA consultants. In this way, the EIA consultants should be able to operate more independently. The EIA should be conducted by an independent EIA consultant prior to submission officially for site application, and the EIA report should be used as one of the most important and immediate sources of references for project evaluation. Current practice of EIA to the authorities imply that the site is awarded to the project proponent for the proposed activity.

Agora Society Malaysia

3j Environment

Taking Measures to Inhibit Urban Sprawl and Protect Our Forests.
� Local authorities should draw an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) in Rancangan Tempatan, the built-up area shall not exceed the boundaries
� No new landed property in certain areas (not just zoning) of an urban area
� Limit the size of the land area of a single household in urban areas to prevent unnecessary land loss
� Subsidise residents who are renting or buying houses within a certain distance from the office, probably 3 to 5 km
� Relax zoning restriction, encourage mixed development, rehabilitate shophouses as residential housing. Treat mixed zones as residential and apply residential rates to utility bills, property, and land taxes


The measures above mix both �carrot and stick� approaches:
� The limitation on UGB, no new landed property, and the size of single households in urban areas restrict unhealthy development from proposed and approved projects. Currently our Federal and state governments seem to have an open arms policy to any urban development proposed by developers, regardless of whether they are state-owned or private. By having these limitations included in the legislation, regulations are put in place to ensure both Federal and state governments think carefully before approving projects. Otherwise, they will face scrutiny by both MPs and state assemblymen.
� Relaxing zoning restrictions to allow more mixed development in urban areas, encouraging developers to rediscover the potential of mature urban areas and redevelop communities to higher density and allow for more active residential-commercial interactions
� Housing rental and purchasing subsidies to encourage people to live in a smaller circle closer to the workplace than a sprawling urban area that requires residents to commute long distance. Reducing the commute benefits both physical and mental health, as well as reduces the carbon footprint of a person�s daily activity. Excluding consideration of income brackets for this subsidy is crucial. Higher income groups who are able to own private vehicles may choose not to do so if they can benefit from this subsidy.

CSO Platform for Reform - Environmental Sector

3j Environment

Prasarana hijau di kawasan bandar berpotensi menjadi pusat tumpuan utama rekreasi awam yang bersift dinamik. Kawasan hijau terbuka seperti ini mampu mengendalikan aktiviti membabitkan kesihatan secara tidak formal dan secara tidak langsung membentuk integriti ekologi kawasan berkenaan.

Perancangan laluan pejalan kaki yang bersepadu dengan prasarana hijau ini wajar dibangunkan dengan membabitkan semua prasarana semula jadi, separa semula jadi, jaringan sistem ekologi pelbagai fungsi yang terdapat di dalam, di sekeliling atau di antara kawasan bandar.

Kesalinghubungan laluan pejalan kaki dan prasarana hijau ini akan meningkatkan nilainya. Hutan bandar adalah satu ekosistem yang cukup kompleks dan ini membuka peluang kepada pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam kalangan komuniti setempat, para pelancong dan sesiapa juga yang berminat untuk mengetahui segala rahsia yang terkandung di sebalik kekayaan biodiversiti hutan bandar.Terdapat beberapa kajian yang mendapati pengekalan kawasan hijau terbuka dapat meningkatkan nilai estetika di kawasan kejiranan; meningkatkan rasa pemilikan dan kepunyaan; secara tidak langsung dapat meningkatkan nilai harta-tanah dan meningkatkan kebahagiaan penduduk.

Terdapat beberapa kajian yang mendapati pengekalan kawasan hijau terbuka dapat meningkatkan nilai estetika di kawasan kejiranan; meningkatkan rasa pemilikan dan kepunyaan; secara tidak langsung dapat meningkatkan nilai harta-tanah dan meningkatkan kebahagiaan penduduk.

Oleh sebab itu, penyertaan awam daripada ahli komuniti tempatan harus digalakkan bagi membuka peluang kepada penduduk bandar dan pemilik perniagaan tempatan menyumbang dan merealisasikan kawasan kejiranan yang berdaya tahan dan mampan. Usaha ini juga perlu disertai dengan kesediaan organisasi dan agensi berkaitan untuk bekerjasama bagi mencapai matlamat yang sama.

CSO Platform for Reform - Environmental Sector

3j Environment

Proses perancangan fizikal perlu telus dan memberi pertimbangan terhadap aspek kehidupan masyarakat setempat dan alam sekitar.

Antara langkah-langkah yang boleh diambil
1. memberi maklum kepada orang awam bahawa mereka adalah berhak dan berpeluang untuk membuat ulasan/pendapat/ cadangan/bantahan berkenaan dengan perkara-perkara yang dicadangkan dalam sesuatu rancangan pembangunan
2. menggunakan beberapa laman media sosial utama (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) sebagai platform hebahan
3. dokumentasi yang lengkap boleh dicapai dalam talian secara percuma selain daripada dokumen bercetak
4. kos pemasaran publisiti (penyertaan awam) ditanggung oleh pemaju projek sebagai tanggungjawab sosial korporat mereka
5. mengalakkan komunikasi dua hala dalam keadaan yang selamat, terbuka dan mesra mengikut beberapa peringkat komunikasi
a. komunikasi interpersonal antara pegawai-pegawai agensi terlibat dengan individu-individu awam untuk memberi penjelasan dan penerangan berhubung dengan rancangan pemajuan yang disediakan
b. komunikasi kumpulan kecil antara pegawai-pegawai agensi terlibat dengan kumpulan kecil masyarakat awam (contohnya: persatuan penduduk dan NGO) dengan mengadakan bengkel, seminar, focus group discussion (FGD) dan sebagainya
c. komunikasi awam dengan mengadakan ceramah umum, karnival publisiti rancangan pemajuan, pameran perdana dan sebagainya
d. komunikasi massa iaitu melibatkan komunikasi dua hala antara agensi terlibat dengan masyarakat awam melalui saluran media massa - media cetak atau elektronik dan laman media sosial. Penyiarannya hendaklah dibuat sekerap yang mungkin supaya ianya dapat mempengaruhi ingatan dan pandangan masyarakat awam.

Penang Hills Watch

3j Environment

1. Entire areas of natural water catchments within permanent forest reserves (PFR) must be officially classified/gazetted as water catchment forests (hutan tadahan air) under the National Forestry Act 1984 to afford the necessary protection against logging and all other unauthorised use within water catchments. For example, it is estimated that only 16% of the Ulu Muda PFR have been gazetted as water catchment forests, while the remaining 84% remain available for timber extraction as allowed within PFR
2. In the case of Penang where water catchments gazetted in 2004 under the Government of Penang Gazette cover entire catchment areas that include existing agriculture use, State by-laws must be enacted to enable legal enforcement against unauthorised water abstraction, felling of trees and contamination of the river due to uncontrolled agrichemical use.

Agora Society Malaysia

3j Environment

To encourage people to more actively engage in environmental management to reduce disaster risk, the government must promote habitat conservation as a high-income profession. Since this job plays a vital role in protecting the forest and preventing disaster, it should be generously remunerated. Furthermore, instead of doing conventional resource extraction, conservationists can undertake data extraction, to produce data related to biological species, habitat, water resources and emergence of diseases. Rural residents, especially indigenous communities, can escape poverty through this transformation of livelihood practice, at the same time forging a unique type of enterprise capital with their traditional forest knowledge. Thus, the promotion of sustainable livelihoods, the development of scientific industry, the prevention of ecological disaster, and the progress towards an advanced country become complementary goals that can be pursued together. It is urgent to solve the problems related to forestry policy and land law. Currently, the state governments have absolute control over these two aspects and so the Federal Constitution must be amended to tackle this issue. The definition of HSK should be changed from exploitation-oriented terms into the priority of forest conservation. Moreover, the government must raise public awareness of the importance of conserving forest by all available media means and invite different social groups to participate in decision-making to enhance ecosystem protection. In addition, timber production must be limited to areas outside the forest, and a strict demarcation between the plantation estates and forestland ought to be observed.

CSO Platform for Reform - Environmental Sector

3j Environment

With the latest IPCC report on the impact of climate change, it�s the duty of Federal Government to ensure proper legislative mechanisms are in place to ensure all state governments fulfill Malaysia�s commitment to international multi-lateral treaties. This is to ensure Malaysia fulfills all environmental targets as well to protect the welfare of its citizens from the climate crisis.
1. The National Forestry Act needs to be progressive in classifying the forest according to its environmental functions. It must be strictly enforced in every state in order to protect all life against negative environmental impacts.
2. The National Land Code must be amended to provide governance of all land management and land use by all state authorities by incorporating meaningful public consultation procedures. The degazettement of permanent forest reserves and wildlife reserves should come under the purview of state legislative assemblies (DUNs).

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3j Environment

Declaring a national climate emergency would prepare the public on how climate change could affect the different stakeholders � specifically affecting the agricultural yield for farmers. Alongside the declaration of climate emergency, the Malaysian government needs to highlight its plans to mitigate and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia through effective policymaking. In addition to this, there needs to be thorough plan on measures to adapt to climate change (i.e. flood mitigation systems, decrease de-forestation to increase carbon sinks, etc).

As climate justice attempts to promote transformative justice, it ensures that the advocacy of climate change reflects upon structural injustices in society, such as the exclusion of marginalized groups from decision making and non-existent climate adaptation livelihoods. As such, the Malaysian government must identify the regions and groups of people in Malaysia that are heavily affected by climate change. Feedback can be gathered from affected groups, and a thorough mitigation plan can be constructed and implemented in the future. Such adaptation can include climate education, the mitigation plans to rising sea levels for coastal residents, the protection of farm food production and supply for farmers and since Malaysia has a yearly monsoon season, flood mitigation methods (such as planting native trees to create natural buffer zones, stop deforestation to reduce surface water flows in affected areas and improve drainage systems) must be seen as a priority.

Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim (JEDI)

3j Environment

There is a need to immediately implement measures to build back better from the pandemic while putting on the climate lens, be it in climate mitigation or adaptation. The Malaysian government must acknowledge and declare a national climate emergency and treat it as such at all policy, governance, and institutional levels across agencies. Actions to be taken include formulating laws and regulations that impose low-carbon development and transportation, prevent further deforestation and ensure food security to name a few. There is a need to ramp up national budget allocations for effective implementations and enforcement of climate-related actions. This must be done in an inclusive manner with true multi-stakeholder participation and representations, especially with the indigenous and vulnerable communities. In addition, a holistic approach towards public awareness should include environmental education as a component in the school curriculum and increased coverage on climate change issues by mainstream media outlets.