PUTRAJAYA, Dec 25 — An increase in wildlife protection enforcement activities and the introduction of a new fine amount of RM10 million for environmental criminals were among the successes of the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) this year.
Its minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said they have increased wildlife protection enforcement activities, including for the Malayan tiger in 2024, by increasing community rangers to 1,924 people involving a cost of RM60 million.
The NRES also implemented amendments to the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Act 2024.
"The Act, in force since 1974, has also been amended where the maximum fine for environmental crimes has been increased from RM100,000 to RM10 million and there is a mandatory jail term for environmental criminals for up to five years," he said in a post on his official social media page today on the summary of the achievements of the NRES 2024 team.
Nazmi added that about 350,000 hectares of land and ocean areas have also been gazetted as new protected areas as of Sept last year under the Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT) incentive.
In addition, the NRES has also implemented an initiative to help villagers and Orang Asli with property and crop losses due to wildlife attacks, introduced this year.
"There are 130 applicants as of last September who have benefited more than RM410,000," he said.
Malaysia's greening programme through the planting of 100 million trees had also been successfully completed a year earlier, with the 100 millionth tree planted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
— Bernama
