Natural Resources Ministry to amend Environment Act 1974

SHAH ALAM: The natural resources and environment ministry plans to amend the Environment Quality Act 1974 to give it more bite to act against environment polluters.
Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said it was time the act was amended to give the ministry some clout to deal with increasingly complex pollution issues.
Taking the bauxite mining issue in Kuantan which caused anxiety among the people as an example, he said the Department of Environment's (DOE) role was only to obtain samples of polluted water, analyse and submit them to the state government.
"This is because the state government has the authority to take legal action but the Federal Government has no power. This is a problem and it must be promptly rectified," he told a media conference after opening the National Symposium On Marine Pollution Management here today.
Also present was ministry secretary-general, Datuk Seri Azizan Ahmad and DOE director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Kamarulnajuib Che Ibrahim. — Bernama