M
alaysian
E
nvironmental
NGOs
Ref. no: MSU/YBYB/0231
Date: 15 March 2013
Yang Berhormat-Yang Berhormat
Addressing Environmental Concerns in Malaysia
In recent years, Green Economy has emerged as the concept that will enable progress in
a sustainable manner, ensuring that natural capital which provides goods and services
like raw materials, clean water and air, carbon sequestration and waste decomposition,
is adequately recognised, accounted for and safeguarded.
Many countries, including Malaysia, have alluded to the importance of green economy
as the way forward for development. However, the question remains on how committed
is Malaysia in developing our nation to be a green economy?
Against the backdrop of Malaysia’s 13 th General Elections, we, the undersigned
environmental non-governmental organisations,
are keen to understand your
coalition’s political stand and commitment towards addressing environmental concerns
in Malaysia, in our quest to become a green economy.
We, therefore, wish to put forth to you the following questions which are based on
policies and commitments made by Malaysia both on the domestic and international
fronts on our path to becoming a developed nation by 2020.
Mainstreaming Sustainable Development
The concern for the environment and sustainability was firmly rooted way back in the
Third Malaysia Plan (1976-1980) as Malaysia built its economic foundations. Over the
years, in many of the government’s planning and policy documents, “sustainable
development” has been repeatedly emphasized, especially since the landmark Rio Earth
Summit in 1992.
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Twenty years later, in 2012, the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development recognized, among other things, that Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
alone is inadequate as a mark of a nation’s progress.
Malaysia participated in both these Summits, and we recognized that the key factor in
realizing the vision to attain, and thereafter, maintain developed nation status by 2020
is sustainable development.
However, right until today, our development agenda is primarily driven by economic
growth, measured in terms of GDP and a rise in average income. A study by WWFMalaysia in 2007 on Environmental Stewardship also revealed that only about 57% of
the populace can be said to have good environmental behaviour.
IF ELECTED, how do you propose to ensure that Malaysia develops in an
environmentally responsible and sustainable manner to maintain a high quality of life
for all Malaysians now and into the future? Which of the following would you include?
a) Formulate a “Development Transformation Programme” which holistically
covers areas such as management of our national heritage and natural capital in
the form of rich ecosystems and biodiversity, ensuring food and water security,
ensuring air quality, addressing climate change impacts, and enhancing
environmental governance to safeguard the well-being and economic welfare of
all Malaysians today and into 2020 and beyond.
b) Ensure that educational reforms include a policy on National Environmental
Education that influences strategies, teaching methodologies, planning,
implementation processes as well as monitoring and evaluation mechanisms,
which can also act as a powerful tool for nation building by inculcating a love for
the natural environment that we are so abundantly blessed with.
c) Establish a Sustainability Development Commission (modeled on SUHAKAM)
with independent authority and powers to investigate and intervene where
sustainable principles are breached.
d) Develop indicators on sustainability that will become an additional or even
alternative measure of the nation’s progress that recognise qualitative
dimensions in terms of job fulfillment, well-being, health, apart from quantitative
elements such as river/ air/water quality, forest cover, coral cover.
e) Promote financing for sustainable projects/initiatives through tax incentives and
advocating support for this from financial institutions and Government
investment arms like Khazanah National.
f) Ensure that water policies encourage water conservation with staggered water
tariffs being designed to be pro-poor and also charged at least at cost recovery
levels to elevate hardship and avoid wastage while at the same time ensuring that
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water service providers stay viable. Furthermore, measures to protect our water
sources such as rivers and the ecosystem services that supply fresh, clean water
are urgently implemented to ensure that water tariffs remain affordable and
communities have ready access to natural, clean water for personal needs. As part
of the Green Economy, water saving fittings and measures like Rainwater
Harvesting should be made mandatory in all new buildings.
Mainstreaming Biodiversity
As one of the 12 mega biodiverse nations in the world, Malaysia’s biodiversity is our
national heritage. Amongst others, we have the second largest tiger population in the
world, the largest flower “Rafflesia”, the largest Asian wild cattle “seladang”, four of the
seven marine turtle species, and 742 endemic tree species. The benefits and services
Malaysians gain from this treasure trove are innumerable -- from water and food
security, waste decomposition, soil stability, climate regulation, carbon sequestration,
health products, recreation, and as a direct and indirect source of income generation.
Malaysia has developed various policies to safeguard this national treasure. Malaysia
has pledged twice to maintain at least 50% of our land area as forest cover in perpetuity.
Alarmingly however, illegal and or unsustainable logging, land conversion,
environmental degradation, habitat encroachment, poaching, overfishing have led to a
rapid increase in species under threat of extinction and also loss of natural forest land.
IF ELECTED, how do you propose to safeguard this iconic Malaysian treasure for the
benefit of current and future generations of Malaysians into and beyond 2020? Which of
the following would you include?
a) Ensure full compliance with the National Physical Plan 2 of 2010 which has been
endorsed by the National Physical Planning Council for all levels of land use
planning from district, to state, right up to national level in Peninsular Malaysia,
specifically the six policies relating to natural resources, biodiversity as well as
environment conservation and management.
b) Advance to a “Beyond Sustainable Forest Management” paradigm that enhances
forest governance in its transparency, accountability, access for public
participation in decision-making, stability of forest institutions and conflicts
management which could also have economic benefits by facilitating voluntary
market verification of our timber of the highest standards; as well as adopting an
Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management to similarly enhance the marine
landscape and fisheries governance.
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c) Prohibit land use change and conversion in High Conservation Value
Forests/Areas or Environmentally Sensitive Areas into plantations or
monoculture like oil palm, rubber, plantation forests. Likewise, establish at least
10% of our marine area as Marine Protected Areas as per the commitment made
at the Convention on Biological Diversity.
d) Expedite the implementation of the agreement at the National Forestry
Council meeting in 2009 on the Water Catchment Forest Rules, gazette water
catchment forests in their respective states to safeguard water resources and
regularly monitor that they maintain their functionality.
e) Establish and implement a system of Green Auditing to maintain and safeguard
our natural capital.
f) Prioritise and increase national budget allocations for better and more effective
management of protected areas, water catchment areas, rivers, forests, marine
and terrestrial parks and the flora and fauna within.
g) Device methods to generate non-traditional revenue sources and instruments like
biodiversity offsets1, payment for ecosystem services2, conservation trusts, higher
site level contributions like entry fees and cost sharing through co-management.
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Climate change poses a threat that could destroy all the nation’s progress and
achievements. Climate science, as reported in the consensus Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, noted an alarming trend in the rise in climate
extremities globally. The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change of 2006
calculated the economic impacts in terms of GDP loss at the end of this century would
far outweigh any immediate benefits if the world continues to ignore the issue.
Locally, Malaysia has witnessed changes in rainfall patterns and experienced unseasonal
and more intense rainfall as well as severe dry spells. Climatic impacts are expected to
aggravate already stressed ecosystems such as corals and species survival at coastal and
montane terrains apart from causing hardships to communities and destruction of
property and infrastructure.
Mechanism to ensure that there is no net loss but instead gain of biodiversity on the
ground from a project development after prevention and mitigating measures have been
duly undertaken.
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Payments made by beneficiaries or users of services from the natural environments to
stewards or providers who protect or conserve the particular ecosystem.
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As a responsible global citizen, Malaysia voluntarily accepted to do our part in reducing
the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere by pursuing our
development agenda in a less carbon intensive manner. Malaysia has also formulated a
Climate Change Policy.
IF ELECTED, what is your commitment towards addressing this phenomenal threat of
climate change? Which of the following would you include?
a) Prioritise the development of climate change adaptation strategies for affected
communities and ensure adequate functionality of the natural environment to
avoid aggravating climate impacts.
b) Develop and implement methodologies to design infrastructure in the built
environment to accommodate unexpected and uncertain changes due to climate
change. This could include building in harmony with natural surroundings to
ensure the continuity of environmental services in pollution filtration, natural
cooling and storm water absorption.
c) Promote research and install adequate and innovative early warning systems
using telecommunications and broadcasting networks to reduce loss and damage
of life and property.
d) Develop accessible financial security cover for the most vulnerable using
insurance mechanisms and/or by setting up a Climate Impacts Recovery Fund
from our oil and gas revenues.
e) Promote an energy policy that effectively reduces our dependence on fossil fuels
while providing safe, clean, affordable, socially acceptable and reliable energy by
dismantling policies that promote wastage of energy, promoting energy
conservation and further enhancing the uptake of sustainable renewable energy.
f) Ensure that development plans for states/the country do not contravene our
GHG mitigation agenda by attracting energy intensive and dirty industries, also
known as sunset industries in developed countries.
g) Promote sustainable production and consumption with incentives and discourage
instruments that promote wasteful consumption in society.
h) Continuously upgrade and improve public transportation to make it the preferred
mode of transportation and ensuring that public transportation runs on clean
fuel.
Your commitment towards shifting to a Green Economy paradigm through actions to
mainstream sustainable development, mainstream biodiversity and address the
challenges posed by climate change will steer Malaysia’s path towards low carbon
growth, resource use efficiency and social equity, thereby achieving the aspiration of
being a developed nation in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
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We, therefore, urge you to state your stand on Malaysia’s environmental future which
will underpin our social and economic futures as well during your campaign for GE 13.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely
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EcoKnights
Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM)
Global Environment Centre (GEC)
Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
Partners of Community Organisations Sabah (PACOS)
Reef Check Malaysia Bhd
Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society (SWCS)
Sustainable Development Network Malaysia (SUSDEN)
Treat Every Environment Special Sdn Bhd (TrEES)
Wetlands International (Malaysia)
World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia)
Water Watch Penang (WWP)
Note:
This letter is being disseminated to the other political parties and the
media.
MENGO c/o EcoKnights, No.41, Lorong Burhanuddin Helmi 11,
60000 Kuala Lumpur Tel/ Fax: (603) 7731 8361
E-Mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Website: www.mengo.org
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