In order to lower the carbon emissions that lead to global warming, Malaysia is considering the deployment of market-based carbon pricing policies such as carbon trading and a carbon tax. This paper, which is based on a memorandum submitted to the Malaysian government, presents a critical assessment of these policies …
Malaysia reported more than 1,000 suspected cases of dengue, although, many turned out to be false alarms. 76 people have fallen to the disease so far, this year; 68 deaths were reported for the same period last year. Neighbour Singapore too, is fighting its worst dengue epidemic ever and has …
A long-standing dispute over losses faced by Malaysian fisherfolk due to land reclamation activities by Singapore near the international waterway dividing the two nations has ended. In a deal struck on April 26, 2005, Singapore agreed to pay us$98,410 to Malaysia as compensation for the fisherfolk; the compensation for each …
Following a national anti-smoking drive, the Malaysian government has decided to give US $2.76 million as interest-free loans and grants to help its nearly 100,000 citizens dependent on tobacco cultivation. The move aims to help them switch over to other crops. Malaysia's deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak …
Hundreds of forest fires in the dry jungles of Malaysia, Indonesia's Sumatra island and Singapore have put a thick blanket of smoke over many Southeast Asian cities. Although a little less in intensity than the haze that covered the region nearly a decade ago, this dark cloud has its share …
The objective of this article is to study the implications of changes in land use induced by economic growth, economy-wide policies, and governance on deforestation and forest-induced atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. Economic growth, democracy, and trade policy explain an important share of the variation in two key determinants of deforestation: …
Smoke from wildfires in Indonesia has drifted across to neighbouring Malaysia to envelop several cities in an unhealthy haze. Officials blamed the smog on more than 300 "hot spots' on the Indonesian island of Sumatra
The Malaysian government is considering reopening bidding for a multibillion-dollar water treatment concession, providing Prime Minister (pm) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an opportunity to overhaul the country's often-criticised privatisation programme. The prospective water deal pits French utilities giant Veolia Environnement sa and its partners against Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd, a Malaysian …
The survival of the orangutans seems to be the bone of contention between the World Wide Fund for Nature (wwf) and Malaysian environment experts. The uk chapter of wwf alleges that 91 per cent of the orangutan population in the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra has disappeared over the …
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (itlos) at Hamburg, Germany, has directed Singapore not to carry out land reclamation work in a way that is damaging to the marine environment, or to Malaysian interests. The court, however, rejected Malaysia's plea seeking a complete suspension of the activity …
the recent Supreme Court (sc) order revoking the ban on the import of natural rubber under the Advanced Licence Scheme (als) has split the sector down the middle. While it has spelt gloom for over 10 lakh small and marginal rubber growers nationwide, the recent sc directive has been welcomed …
india's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (csir) has joined hands with eight similar organisations to form the Global Research Alliance (gra) in New Delhi on January 21. Its main objective is to establish itself in the research consultancy megamarket. gra signifies the culmination of an agreement reached in Pretoria …
Wanton exploitation by Malaysia's indigenous Semelai farmers has driven several species of animals to extinction in the Tasek Bera wetlands. Now, conservationists are helping members of the community to establish a tourism enterprise. Not only would this generate income for the local people, it would ensure that they protect the …
Genetic resources and livelihoods across the Asia-Pacific region are being destroyed due to commercialisation of plant genes by transnational companies and national governments. This has been observed in a report compiled by Genetic Resources Action International (grain), a Barcelona-based group, and Kalpvriksha, an Indian environmental organisation. The document warns that …
Perseverance pays. With the Malaysian government deciding to ban the herbicide paraquat, a long-standing campaign of environmental pressure groups has finally proved successful. Earlier, a wave of concern was raised by non-governmental organisations about the harmful effects of the chemical. The herbicide is used on bananas, cocoa, cotton, rubber and …
The Thai-Malaysian natural gas pipeline project is embroiled in a fierce controversy. While environmental activists object to the route of the project, the Thai government insists on going ahead with the us $710.7-million scheme by re-routing it. Experts warn that the programme could threaten the breeding cycle of 200,000 Javanese …
An illegal wildlife trade racket has been unearthed in Africa. In January 2002, four lowland gorillas from the zoological garden at Nigeria's University of Ibadan were transferred to Taiping Zoo in Malaysia. Now, the secretariat of the global Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (cites) is probing into the alleged …
