| Abstract: | The human impact on the natural systems of Malaysia has proceeded apace in recent decades. Rapid rural development at the expense of the rainforest, selective logging of hardwoods, processing of agricultural products and urbanization are among the processes that account for environmental change. The federal government has responded to the widening circle of environmental problems by introducing new legislation, creating a Department of Environment, including environmental considerations in certain of its national development plans and adopting certain kinds of stances in environmental disputes. Following a discussion of these responses, it is argued that the government has given insufficient attention to the relations between environmental change on the one hand and population growth and poverty, pace and scale of rural development, role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), indigenous knowledge systems and institutional arrangements on the other. It is concluded that the federal government should cooperate with NGOs, consider adopting a new fiscal relationship with the states and, in certain cases, place greater reliance on its constitutional powers. |
