THE Sarawak Government has made significant strides in its effort to reclaim environmental regulatory powers from the Federal Government in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, said the phased implementation of the Transfer of Autonomy on Environment initiative marks a major development in Sarawak’s push for greater control over its natural resources.
“The first phase of the transfer focuses on the management of scheduled wastes, while the next phase will involve industrial effluent management, air quality control, and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) administration,”he said.
He said this in his ministerial winding-up speech during the DUN Sitting on Wednesday.
“We are currently in the process of drafting new regulations to strengthen the enforcement of the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance (NREO) 2024, which was approved during the previous sitting of the State Assembly,”he said.
As part of the ongoing reforms, the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) has already taken proactive measures.
It has adopted a new organisational structure effective from 1 July 2024, and carried out 32 joint enforcement operations with the Department of Environment (DOE) Sarawak.
“NREB has also completed the development of a Scheduled Waste Management Module within the Environmental Information System Sarawak (EnvISS), which serves as a centralised platform for waste tracking and monitoring.
He said the board has prepared comprehensive guidelines and operational manuals for scheduled waste premises and designated transporters.
“To ensure effective enforcement and management, NREB has also focused on capacity building by enhancing the skills of its officers through various courses, including the Certified Environmental Professional in Scheduled Waste Management (CePSWAM), Certified Person in Scheduled Waste Sampling Protocol (CePSWASP), as well as training on scheduled waste management and oil spill handling.
“These initiatives underscore Sarawak’s commitment to building robust environmental governance systems under its own jurisdiction, in line with the rights enshrined in MA63,”he said.
