: Cases involving environmental crimes convicted in court increased to 409 cases last year compared to 289 cases in 2019, said Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik AhmadIn this regard, he said heavier and proportionate punishment should be imposed on environmental criminals because pollution has affected the environmental ecosystem, negatively impacting the quality of health, safety and well-being of the people.
“Directly, this situation has a negative impact on the environment such as water source pollution, air pollution, increase in earth’s temperature, flash floods, landslides, extinction of flora and fauna and the unpredictable weather changes. He said this when presenting the Environmental Quality Bill 2023 for the second reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.
On the overall, he said the Environmental Quality Bill 2023 involves compound elements, penalties, minimum and maximum fine provisions so that stricter actions and higher punishments can be taken against perpetrators and offenders who cause environmental pollution.