Kuala lumpur: The Dewan Rakyat today passed the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Bill 2026, granting Sabah and Sarawak legislative authority in managing scheduled waste. The Bill was approved by a majority voice vote following its second and third readings by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Minister emphasized that the Bill is a strategic move to enhance the nation's environmental legal framework, aligning with federalism principles, good governance, and the Malaysia Agreement 1963. He stated that the amendment reflects the government's commitment to maintaining a responsive, flexible, and resilient environmental management system.
The need for an online system for continuous environmental monitoring and scheduled waste management was highlighted, with Sarawak having developed the Scheduled Waste Management System under the Environmental Information System Sarawak (EnvISS) platform since January 22, 2025. Training sessions have been organized for relevant officers and industry representatives in Sarawak. Meanwhile, the Sabah Electronic Scheduled Waste Information System is 90 percent complete and is set to replace the existing eSWIS system by November 2026.
The Bill marks the eighth amendment to the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127), introducing a new subsection empowering the Minister to suspend the Act's enforcement in different parts of Malaysia. Twenty-one MPs participated in the debate, with contributions from both government and opposition members.
Vivian Wong Shir Yee (PH-Sandakan) noted that granting powers to the Minister could expedite enforcement and monitoring actions. Siti Aminah Aching (BN-Beaufort) described the amendment as a maturity of federalism, recognizing the geographical and developmental challenges in Sabah and Sarawak. Riduan Rubin (Independent-Tenom) supported the Bill but stressed the need for state institutional readiness to effectively implement autonomous powers, warning against the risks of weak enforcement without adequate resources.
The parliamentary session will continue tomorrow.