30/04/2026

THURSDAY | APR 30, 2026

3

Marine treasures under threat

o Oil, gas ventures and expansion near protected waters raise ecological concerns, says environmentalist

Adam urged Malaysians to pay closer attention to the environmental impact of oil and gas developments, particularly in ecologically sensitive marine areas. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.c om

of Sabah. Adam revealed that the block overlaps entirely with two gazetted marine protected areas in Sabah – the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area and Turtle Islands Park – while also bordering the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary. “Some of the geological exploration leads are located directly within these protected zones,” he said, warning that such overlaps could have severe implications for biodiversity and conservation efforts in the region. While offshore oil and gas projects are concentrated in Sabah, Adam stressed that deforestation remains a nationwide concern. “Even areas close to Kuala Lumpur are not spared,” he said, pointing to mounting threats to green lungs such as North Kiara Forest situated near Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Sri Hartamas and Ayer Itam Forest Reserve in Puchong. He added that ongoing and upcoming developments could place additional strain on forests, biodiversity and local communities over the next six to 12 months. Adam also raised concerns about systemic weaknesses in Malaysia’s environmental governance, particularly in relation to climate policy. “Despite fossil fuels being the

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s fossil fuel industry – particularly its growing role as a major exporter of fossil gas – remains one of the country’s most significant yet under-scrutinised contributors to global climate change, according to RimbaWatch director Adam Farhan. He said many large-scale oil and gas developments are taking place within or near protected marine ecosystems, but continue to escape public attention due to limited transparency and weak regulatory scrutiny. “The single biggest contributor towards global climate change is our fossil fuel industry. Many of the projects are located in marine protected areas, such as Tun Mustapha Park located off the north coast of Sabah and Luconia Shoals National Park in the South China Sea, about 163km to 254 km off the coast of Sarawak, yet they are often overlooked because of a lack of publicly accessible environmental impact assessments and broader scrutiny,” he said. Among the most concerning developments is the recently identified SB304 oil and gas exploration block off the coast sufficient: Minister KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s food supply remains stable for now, with the rice buffer stock reaching 300,000 tonnes, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu. He said that the local production of chicken and eggs was also close to achieving full self-sufficiency. However, Mohamad said the government remained cautious of challenges from rising costs of animal feed, which still relied on imports, as well as fuel prices. “For vegetables, there are times when oversupply occurs, causing prices to drop. Consumers are happy, but farmers are under pressure. The government is assisting through planting schedules and contract farming systems. Fish supply, however, is slightly affected due to hot weather and rising costs for fishermen, which is why we are intensifying aquaculture as an alternative,”he said in a Facebook post. Mohamad said the real impact of the global supply crisis was expected to be more pronounced within the next three to six months, especially as the costs of fertiliser, animal feed and fuel rise. “Food prices may increase slightly, but the government is working to ensure that there is no sharp hike.” He said the government had also taken various measures to help ease the burden on the people, including increasing rice stockpiles, opening new padi fields, improving irrigation systems and developing the local corn industry. – Bernama Food supply stable and

carried out via a dedicated lift. “This is a measure to future-proof our facilities to face the challenges of post-pandemic infectious diseases, while ensuring the safety of healthcare workers.” He said with the new facilities, specialist services can also be expanded to include Sports Medicine, the Pink Ribbon Clinic for breast cancer, as well as colorectal, urology and plastic and reconstructive surgery. He said cochlear implant surgical services and disaster management facilities are also provided, thereby demonstrating the ministry’s commitment to bringing specialist services closer to the public. The government, he added, has also approved 1,308 new positions as of February this year. – Bernama Present were Tengku Maimun and Malaysian Bar President Anand Raj. Sharing personal experience as a father of six daughters, Wan Ahmad Farid said each of them had pursued her own path in different fields, including in engineering, communications, filmmaking and law. “Each created her own path, in her own voice and on her own terms,” he said, adding that he never imposed expectations on them. – Bernama obscure underlying realities. “For instance, our pledge to maintain 50% forest cover can be misleading when industrial monoculture plantations – such as timber latex clone and acacia – are counted as forests. In theory, natural forests could be replaced with monocultures while still meeting that target.” He stressed that both corporate and government claims on sustainability must be closely examined. “The devil is often in the details,” he said.

additional block at HTAN, costing RM153.4 million, was built on a 4.18ha site, with site ownership on March 10, adding that it was fully completed under the design-and build method and the Certificate of Practical Completion was issued on Monday. According to him, the additional six-storey block, known as Block B, not only adds another 132 beds in the normal wards and 12 in the intensive care units, but also increases HTAN’s total capacity to 458 beds, along with six new operating theatres. “Block B houses Malaysia’s first Emergency and Trauma Department, which was designed holistically with negative-pressure isolation facilities. Continuity of care from the emergency department to the isolation ward can now be Marine Ecoregion and the Coral Triangle Initiative, both recognised for their extraordinary marine biodiversity. “The ecosystems are among the most biodiverse in the world, but oil and gas activities pose serious risks – from habitat destruction and underwater noise to the potential for oil spills.” Adam also cautioned against taking broad environmental commitments at face value, noting that official metrics can sometimes

levels will continue to be strengthened. Our focus is not on new hospitals but more towards upgrading existing hospitals.” Dzulkefly said this after officiating at the handing-over of an additional block of the Tuanku Ampuan Najihah Hospital (HTAN), which was also attended by Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan here on Tuesday. Dzulkefly said the ministry is also focusing on the construction of three new hospitals – the Petra Jaya Hospital in Sarawak, which is expected to be completed this year; the Sultanah Aminah Hospital 2 in Johor Bahru (at the tender process); and the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital 2 in this state (Negeri Sembilan), which has just been approved for site acquisition. Meanwhile, he said the primary driver of climate change, there is effectively no climate-based regulation of the industry. At the same time, the government is pursuing growth in this sector rather than a phase-out, which runs counter to climate science.” He urged Malaysians to pay closer attention to the environmental impact of oil and gas developments, particularly in ecologically sensitive marine areas. Malaysia’s waters form part of the globally important Sulu-Sulawesi

Health Ministry to prioritise hospital upgrades nationwide KUALA PILAH: The Health Ministry is focusing on efforts to upgrade existing healthcare facilities,

including hospitals, nationwide to meet the increasing demand for health services, said its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. He said the approach was taken since many public hospitals currently operate at nearly 100% capacity, thus requiring facility expansion, including the construction of an additional block. “The addition of this new block will provide added value to the quality of services, especially in several areas of specialisation. We want to emphasise healthcare and wellbeing that focus on care and the early detection of diseases. “At the same time, the development of facilities at the secondary and tertiary healthcare

Chief justice lauds accomplishments by women in judiciary KUALA LUMPUR: Four women who have held the highest offices in Malaysia’s judiciary stand as testament to merit, integrity and the nation’s commitment to gender equality, said Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh. Malaya the late Tan Sri Siti Norma Yaakob and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Azizah Nawawi, to their respective highest positions reflected the steady progress of women breaking barriers and reshaping the country’s legal landscape. “These are not merely courage, discipline and excellence. “Women must be free to be their true selves and determine their own paths. When women lead, advocate, adjudicate and innovate, it does not diminish others – it expands what power can achieve for everyone.”

Wan Ahmad Farid said this in his special address at the Women’s Rights Conference 2026 held at the Asian International Arbitration Centre yesterday.

The nation’s top judge said the appointment of former Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, former Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Rohana Yusuf, former Chief Judge of

appointments but milestones that prove talent knows no gender. The glass ceiling was not just cracked, it was shattered repeatedly through