Category: Environment EN

It has been announced that Malaysia will be meeting with its ASEAN neighbours in Singapore in early June 2023 to discuss the transboundary haze issue and develop a new roadmap for the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) 2002. While this meeting and the roadmap development are positive steps, the question remains whether the criticisms and weaknesses of the AATHP will be...

Civil society organizations, academics, and frontline groups are expressing their concern over UNEP's newly released Spotlight report promoting burning plastic waste in cement kilns as a key strategy in the design and implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty. “Burning plastic waste in cement kilns is a ‘get out of jail free card’ for the plastic industry to keep ramping up plastic...

We refer to the media statement by Gamuda issued on 16 May, 2023. Gamuda’s defence of its Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project is self-serving and unsustainable. It has a vested interest in the mega reclamation project, expecting to make millions, perhaps billions, of profit. Therefore, its claims of the project benefitting the public must be taken with a pinch of salt. The Penang state...

Urgent Global Action Needed: UNEP Report Reduce plastic production and  address chemicals in plastics globally to protect human health and the environment, recommends a new UN report released last week. Chemicals released throughout the life cycle of plastics pose serious health and environmental threats, says “Chemicals in Plastics: A Technical Report”. About 22 million tonnes of...

As there has been a change in the development concept, both in the design and the statement of need, our view is that a new EIA must be required. In fact, one of the 71 conditions imposed on the State in respect of the EIA which approved on 11 April is that, if there is any change in the development concept, a fresh approval from the Director-General of the DOE is required. Hence, the DOE...

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Penang state government not to adamantly insist on going ahead with the reclamation in Penang South, regardless of whether it is for one or three islands. Please listen to the voices of civil society organisations (CSOs) and the informed public, and do not yield to the pressure from developers and contractors. Naming one island Silicon Island...

This is still unacceptable as 2,500 acres of reclamation still is very large and will affect the fishery spawning grounds and the environment. Plus it will involve large volumes of sand for the reclamation from Penang or Perak waters, causing more damage. It is not correct to say a smaller number of fishermen will be affected as it is about destroying mudflats, coral reefs affecting the marine...

On 9 May 2023, an open letter from a group of unions and public interest groups worldwide, including Consumers Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia, was handed over to Ana Berejiani, the President the Conference of Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. The letter proposed a reform of the Convention’s ‘prior informed consent’ – Right to Know – rules, to ensure governments,...