THE Natural Resources and Environmental Bill 2024 must focus on conservation of natural resources rather than merely focusing on corrective measures.
Safiee Ahmad (GPS-Daro) said the Bill must include prevention of environmental damage by development activities, for planning environmental policies.
“It must include among others, the development planning process to focus on features of land and natural resources, environmental impact assessment to prevent negative impacts of production activities and construction works, and the management plans for protected areas.
“Another additional point, continuous engagement with all stakeholders particularly to increase the awareness on environment should be enhanced.
“The outreach programmes, especially at the rural as well the environment programmes in schools, need to be reviewed with more interactive and innovative practices,” he said.
He was debating in support of the Bill in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Safiee added that three key aspects approaches in the context of the legal framework for environmental protection in the state.
“Firstly, this is the process of global environmental transformation and its potential and actual damage features.
“Secondly, these are the trends of the legal framework aimed at preventing negative environmental damage and minimising its consequences.
“Thirdly, there are potential prospects of the future legal framework for environmental protection in the sustainable development of society,” he added.
The introduction of the financial penalties in the Bill is something everybody should applaud and commend.
“The financial penalties refer to the monetary consequences imposed on individuals or organisation for not adhering to certain rules, laws or agreements.
“These penalties serve as a deterrent against undesirable behaviour and encourage compliance through the potential loss of money, thereby influencing economic decision-making and self-regulation strategies,” he stated.
