By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, May 28: Sarawak is set to take over environmental responsibilities from the federal government under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), beginning with the management of scheduled waste in the first phase of the autonomy transfer.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the State government is currently in the process of assuming these functions as part of its push for greater control over its natural resources and environmental governance.
“The first phase of this transfer involves the management of scheduled wastes.
“The next phase will see Sarawak taking over the management of industrial effluents, air quality control, and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes,” he said when delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting today.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development (MUDeNR), added that Sarawak is in the process of drafting new regulations under the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance (NREO) 2024, which was passed during the previous DUN sitting to strengthen enforcement and regulatory frameworks.
To prepare for the transition, the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) has rolled out several key initiatives. These include adopting a new organisational structure effective July 1, 2024, carrying out 32 joint enforcement operations with the Department of Environment (DOE) Sarawak, and developing the Scheduled Waste Management Module under the Environmental Information System Sarawak (EnvISS) for tracking and managing scheduled waste data.
Operational guidelines and manuals for licensing scheduled waste premises and designated carriers have also been prepared.
To ensure smooth implementation, NREB officers have undergone specialised training including the Certified Environmental Professional in Scheduled Waste Management (CePSWaM), Certified Person in Scheduled Waste Sampling Protocol (CePSWaSP), as well as courses in scheduled waste handling and oil spill response. – DayakDaily
