mei mei chu and rashvinjeet s. bedi The Star 25 Oct 18;
PETALING JAYA: It's not right to move a government department in charge of conservation to a ministry in charge of extracting resources, say conservationists.
They say that moving the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia (DMPM) to the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry (MOA) will harm rather than protect the marine environment.
A source from the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry (KATS) confirmed that the move from that ministry to MOA had been proposed to the Cabinet.
But how can MOA, which oversees the Department of Fisheries, be in charge of marine park conservation as well, asked the source.
The Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister is Datuk Salahuddin Ayub.
Reefcheck Malaysia General Manager Julian Hyde said it is contradictory to place DMPM, a resource conservation agency, under a ministry dealing with utilisation and extraction of resources.
"The Ministry's goal is to maximise resource extraction, it seems to me that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry's mindset is at odds with a resource conservation mindset," he said.
"There is a conflict there... The resource extraction mindset will overcome the resource conservation mindset," Hyde added.
Hyde said DMPM should instead be placed with a ministry that is mandated to protect the environment, namely (KATS) or the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (Mestecc).
DMPM was previously parked under the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry during the previous administration.
According to the DMPM's website, its mission is to be a leader in conservation and management for sustainable marine park biodiversity in South-East Asia.
On the other hand, the MOA's website says its mission is to transform the agriculture sector for Malaysia to be a competitive global food exporter.
Reefcheck Malaysia has launched an online petition appealing for the government to reconsider the move.
"We believe it is in the best interests of Malaysia's coral reefs, and the communities that rely on them, that conservation of these important resources remain under the control of a ministry charged with resource conservation and not a ministry charged with resource utilisation," the petition read.
The petition can be seen at this website: https://www.change.org/p/government-of-malaysia-keep-department-of-marine-parks-malaysia-under-a-resource-conservation-ministry
Petition to stop Marine Parks Dept's transfer to Agriculture Ministry gains traction
mei mei chu The Star 26 Oct 18;
PETALING JAYA: A petition appealing the Government to reconsider transferring the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia (DMPM) to the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry (MOA) is gaining traction.
The change.org petition has gathered over 3,500 signatures as of 4pm Friday (Oct 26).
Started by ReefCheck Malaysia, the petition calls for the DMPM to be placed under a resource conservation ministry like the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry (KATS) or the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry.
"We believe it is in the best interests of Malaysia's coral reefs, and the communities that rely on them, that conservation of these important resources remain under the control of a ministry charged with resource conservation and not a ministry charged with resource utilisation (MOA)," the petition read.
Petition supporter Godwin Supramaniam said he is concerned that conservation of our marine assets and reefs will be neglected if the DMPM is placed under the MOA.
"Marine parks are becoming more scarce every day. They need to be protected for future generations, not treated as an agricultural resource," Alistair Green said.
"Leave the management of protected areas in the hands of those who protect it rather than depletes it," Siew Yeen Lee said.
On Thursday, The Star Online reported that the move to MOA had been proposed to the Cabinet.
"The Ministry's goal is to maximise resource extraction, it seems to me that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry's mindset is at odds with a resource conservation mindset," said Reefcheck Malaysia general manager Julian Hyde.
"There is a conflict there... The resource extraction mindset will overcome the resource conservation mindset," he added.
