LAWAS: Community leaders and village chiefs (KMKK) need to play a stronger role in monitoring development activities to ensure Lawas’ rapid growth is balanced with environmental protection.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said KMKK and local communities are important frontline partners for government agencies in ensuring development in the district was carried out responsibly and sustainably.
“The environment is not solely the responsibility of the government. It is a shared responsibility of the entire community.
“KMKK holds a very important position as a link between the community and government agencies,” he said in UKAS reports today (Aug 25).
He said this in his speech at the 2026 Lawas District KMKK Empowerment Seminar on Environmental Protection Towards Sustainable Development at a hotel here on Monday (Aug 24).
He said development should not be assessed solely based on economic growth and physical development but must also take into account its impact on the environment and community well-being.
He said KMKK could help channel information on issues such as open burning, river pollution, illegal dumping and encroachment into sensitive areas to the relevant agencies for further action.
He also stressed the need to shift the approach to environmental protection from taking action after problems occur to continuous monitoring and prevention.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Environmental Quality Controller Datuk Jack Liam said 34 development projects in Lawas are currently being monitored by the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) to ensure compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval conditions.
The projects comprise 13 infrastructure projects, six property projects, one forestry project, 10 agricultural projects and four quarrying and mining projects.
“NREB officers are unable to be in the field every day.
“Therefore, cooperation from KMKK and local communities is greatly needed to provide information and input on development activities in their respective areas,” he said.
He said cooperation between NREB, KMKK and local communities would help strengthen environmental monitoring and enforcement, particularly as Lawas continues to grow with various development projects.
At the same event, 193 compensation cheques and 63 land title letters were presented to recipients affected by the Northern Coastal Highway (NCH) and the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) alignments.
