KUALA LUMPUR: Environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes remain weak across all sectors, making deforestation a constant threat, said environmental watchdog Rimbawatch.
"Because of this weakness, projects involving deforestation in a range of sectors, including mining, plantations, and others, are being approved," said its president Adam Farhan.
On Thursday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended that the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry amend the Mineral Development Act 1994 to enable better enforcement against illegal mining.
The committee made the recommendation after an investigation into the ministry's forest management and its environmental impact, stemming from the Auditor General's Report presented to Parliament on Nov 22 last year.
"We do agree with the proposal, as we need cohesive monitoring and management of all mining activities", Adam told the New Straits Times.
However, he said the PAC's recommendations may be too narrow.
"We would like to propose that recommendations to enhance Malaysia's environmental governance should be sector agnostic," he said.
After the PAC's announcement, minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad agreed that amending the act was important as it currently presents obstacles in federal enforcement.