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SELANGOR’s water cuts are relentlessly disrupting life under the “new norm,” underscoring the fact that under the Covid-19 pandemic lurks the imminent danger of an environmental crisis.
Water, one of humanity’s most basic needs, has not been a guarantee in one of the most developed regions of Malaysia, a country rich in natural resources.
“Those who pollute the river should notify us about water cuts in their place” and “Raya takes place only once a year, but water cuts happen every month” are some of the sarcastic comments that flood social networks .
The true impact of environmental crime is now inescapable, and past incidents such as the perennial haze and pollution issue of Sungai Kim Kim and Pasir Gudang come to mind.
Calls for environmental issues to be taken seriously have risen, and those sentiments were reflected in the latest federal budgets.
While previous budgets had largely focused on water resources management with some mention of green technology, in recent years the narrative has shifted to explicitly address pressing environmental issues.
There is also a growing sense in which environmental sustainability is not solely a government duty.
In his recent 2021 budget speech, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said that the government is partnering with government-linked companies (GLC) and civil society to go green.
Some RM20 thousand will be channeled to NGOs for environmental conservation initiatives, which will be complemented by contributions from GLC-owned foundations.
More interestingly, the government has also introduced Malaysia’s first Sustainability Bond, to help fund projects that aim to bring clear environmental benefits to society.
Incentives will also be given to members of the public to encourage them to go greener, such as an RM200 e-Rebate when households purchase any locally made energy efficient air conditioner or refrigerator.
Up one notch from the previous Budget, the government is cooperating with the United Nations to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating a trust fund with an initial allocation of RM20 thousand.
Groups like Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Penang Consumers Association have highly praised the 2021 Budget. However, they said there were no plans to prepare the country for climate change.
And while on paper Malaysia is making great strides to finally pay due attention to the environmental crisis, the policies outlined will be wasted if not combined with proper implementation.
In the 2021 Budget, RM50,000 will be provided to deal with the rivers trapped in the rivers, while another RM40,000 will be allocated over five years to strengthen enforcement activities, including the installation of 30 monitoring stations.
However, just a week after the Budget was presented, the Klang Valley is again in the middle of another round of water outages.
Malaysia is one of the 12 megadiverse countries in the world, and Tengku Zafrul was right in pointing out that we should strike a “balance between development and preservation of the environment.”
But the question remains: are the budget and stricter environmental laws enough to convince Malaysians to protect the environment, before it’s too late?
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