More environmental crimes convicted in court last year, says Nik Nazmi

In a recent statement, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad revealed that the number of environmental crime cases convicted in court rose to 409 cases in the previous year, a significant increase from 289 cases in 2019. Nik Nazmi emphasized the need for harsher and more appropriate penalties to be imposed on environmental criminals due to the detrimental effects of pollution on the environment, which in turn impacts the quality of health, safety, and well-being of the public.

He expressed concern about the rise in pollution issues in the country, including incidents such as the dumping of chemical waste into rivers, unchecked release of factory emissions, widespread encroachment on forests, open burning, and uncontrolled development activities.

These environmental problems have direct negative consequences on the environment, leading to water and air pollution, increased global temperatures, flash floods, landslides, loss of plant and animal species, and erratic weather patterns.

Nik Nazmi highlighted the significant financial costs incurred by the government in repairing infrastructure, conserving the environment, covering medical expenses, providing housing, and addressing various related issues resulting from environmental damage and natural disasters.

He made these remarks while presenting the Environmental Quality Bill (Amendment) 2023 for its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (March 21).

The proposed bill seeks to amend the Environmental Quality Act 1974, which was originally enacted to prevent, control, and eradicate pollution and to restore the environment, as well as for other related purposes.

Under the Environmental Quality Bill (Amendment) 2023, the focus is on enhancing the elements of fines, penalties, and compounds to facilitate stricter enforcement actions and harsher punishments for perpetrators and offenders responsible for environmental pollution.

Nik Nazmi highlighted that previous amendments to the act included provisions for higher fines amounting to RM500,000 for offenses such as open burning, oil and waste pollution in Malaysian waters, improper disposal of scheduled waste, and non-compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) conditions.

The upcoming seventh amendment prioritizes penalties, fines, and punishments by introducing minimum and maximum fine provisions for convictions under the act. Moreover, existing fines have been raised to a maximum of RM10 million for offenses related to water pollution, oil spills, waste discharge into Malaysian waters, and illegal disposal of scheduled waste.

The Dewan Rakyat session will resume on Monday (March 25). – Bernama