KUALA LUMPUR: Former energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin has praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for combining the environment, natural resources, pollution control, climate change and water sectors under one ministry.
She in a statement today said the move to combine these ministries would save time on inter-ministerial coordination and ensure holistic environmental governance.
The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry and Environment and Water Ministry have been combined to form the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry with Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad as its minister.
"It will be even more perfect if the Solid Waste Management Department, which is a small part of the Housing and Local Government Ministry (now known as Local Government Development Ministry), can be moved to the Environment Ministry as practised in many other countries," she said.
She said combining forestry and wildlife conservation, pollution control, climate change, water and waste management under one ministry was doable as the environment ministry in other countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and China, were responsible for all five sectors.
According to Yeo, there is no need for Malaysia to have two or more ministries to handle the aforementioned jurisdictions if other countries can have it all in one.
"I am looking forward to see holistic changes to environmental conservation and protection efforts in the country." — BERNAMA
