PENANG excutive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo is spot on in saying it is time to stop developers funding their own EIA reports as there is clear conflict of interest.
Ask any consultant preparing an EIA and it will be clear that developers just look at the EIA report as a necessary nuisance to be done at lowest cost.
I would suggest that the relevant ministry set up a board like the Lembaga Jurukur Tanah so that all EIA report fees are paid upfront to that board before the consultant undertakes his work. Perhaps a scale of fees should be introduced too.
Consultants doing the EIA reports can then do a proper job in the public interest without fear of their views compromising their fees.
Of course, the ministry should also ensure the consultants involved can be disciplined for biased reporting to ensure bad apples are weeded out.
Maniam Sankar
Kuala Lumpur
