09/06/2026

TUESDAY | JUNE 9, 2026

4 Protected marine areas exposed to fossil fuel activity

Media called to support govt efforts in suicide prevention PUTRAJAYA: More than 1,000 Malaysians die by suicide every year and the government wants the media to help change that. Suicide cases have remained above the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive year, with police data recording 1,079 deaths in 2025 – a marginal 3.14% dip from 1,114 in 2024 that authorities say offers little cause for comfort. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad described the figures as “deeply concerning” and “unacceptably high,” emphasising that the slight decline does not represent a meaningful improvement. “Suicide must no longer be seen as an isolated issue but as a national concern requiring collective action,” he said at a Round Table Discussion (RTD) on Safe and Responsible Media Reporting on Suicidal Behaviour yesterday. The session, jointly chaired by Dzulkefly and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, brought together media practitioners nationwide in what both ministries described as a historic cross-ministerial engagement. It culminated in the signing of the Malaysian Media Pledge – backed by the Malaysian Media Council, National Union of Journalists Malaysia, and the Malaysian Media Clubs Association – committing the press to responsible journalism in mental health coverage. Police data shows the upward trajectory has been steep: 981 cases in 2022, rising to 1,087 in 2023 – a 10.80% increase – before climbing further to 1,114 in 2024. Dzulkefly cited World Health Organisation data showing more than 703,000 individuals die by suicide globally each year, equivalent to one death every 40 seconds. He added that each death directly affects an estimated 135 others. He pointed to responsible media reporting as one of the most effective international interventions available, adding that sensationalised or overly detailed coverage risks triggering copycat behaviour among vulnerable individuals. “Through ethical reporting, the media does not merely inform, it could also play a role in saving lives,” he said, clarifying that the initiative seeks to promote ethical practice rather than curtail press freedom. At the policy level, the minister highlighted several government commitments: the National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020– 2026, with suicide prevention prioritised under Strategy 8; the MySAVE programme focusing on prevention, early intervention, treatment and community support; and the HEAL 15555 crisis hotline, staffed by trained psychological officers. He also pointed to Malaysia’s repeal of Section 309 of the Penal Code in September 2025, effectively decriminalising attempted suicide, as a landmark shift from a punitive aproach to one centred on care, intervention and rehabilitation. The RTD forms part of a collaboration between the Health Ministry, Communications Ministry and the Content Forum Malaysia to develop guidelines on suicide-related content. – By Kirtinee Ramesh the cover of social visits. “The issue is that they are creating competition. “While locals pay taxes, (these foreigners) do not appear to be doing so. Their services are offered at much lower prices.” He also said enforcement agencies already possessed the legal provisions and manpower to act and should not hold back pending excessive inter-agency coordination.

o RimbaWatch report finds major overlap between industrial projects and conservation zones

Mustapha Park, Luconia Shoals National Park, Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area and the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area. Beyond projected risk, satellite data from SkyTruth’s Cerulean oil slick detection platform points to environmental harm. Between January 2023 and December 2025, 161 oil slick incidents were recorded within SME, affecting approximately 40,505 hectares – roughly eight times the size of Putrajaya, the report stressed. Adam said the situation at Luconia Shoals in Sarawak illustrated the breakdown in enforcement. He added that the park is gazetted as a Totally Protected Area, yet industrial encroachment has continued unabated. “Luconia Shoals has been encroached upon by at least 31 wells, five pipelines and seven platforms tied to multiple gas fields holding 14.3 trillion cubic feet of reserves. Many of these projects began after the park was gazetted in 2018.” He also said conservation status alone was proving insufficient to deter extraction. “Malaysia cannot claim to protect its oceans while allowing oil and gas projects to operate inside the areas meant to safeguard biodiversity. Without strong exclusion zones and enforceable laws, marine protection will remain protection on paper only.” Adam said existing environmental laws contained no provisions barring or discouraging oil and gas production within SME, including inside MPA. “It is concerning that existing marine governance practices and environmental laws do not bar or discourage oil and gas production from taking place in SME.”

Malaysia’s position within two of the planet’s most ecologically critical marine zones. “Malaysia sits within both the Coral Triangle and the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, areas globally recognised for extraordinary marine biodiversity. “The ecosystems support fisheries, coastal protection, food security and tourism, but are increasingly being fragmented by fossil fuel exploration and extraction. “Using geospatial analysis, satellite monitoring and publicly available datasets, the study estimates that 38.5% of Malaysia’s maritime zone – nearly 20 million hectares – falls within SME.” He said these include MPA, Important Marine and Coastal Areas (IMCA), Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMA), Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA), and coral reef systems. He added that despite the ecological significance, only 5.3% of Malaysia’s waters are formally protected. The report finds that 87% of all SME overlap with oil and gas blocks. This includes 97% of MPA, 88% of IMCA, 96% of ISRA and 97% of Malaysia’s portion of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion. Oil and gas concessions also overlap with 40% of mapped shallow coral reefs, exposing them to risks from seismic blasting, drilling, oil spills, sedimentation, vessel traffic and offshore infrastructure development. High-risk areas identified in the report include the Teluk Darvel Bay in Sabah, where exploration blocks overlap with reefs surrounding Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai, which are dive sites of global renown. Other case studies include the Tun

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: Almost all of Malaysia’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA) have been exposed to fossil fuel activity, according to a new report, raising urgent questions over the effectiveness of the country’s marine conservation framework. A first-of-its-kind analysis by environmental watchdog RimbaWatch reveals that 97% of Malaysia’s MPA overlap with active or proposed oil and gas blocks – a finding the group describes as a systemic failure of marine governance in one of the world’s most biodiverse ocean regions. The report, titled Reefs at Risk: Mapping Fossil Fuel Threats to Sensitive Marine Environments in Malaysia, was released yesterday to coincide with World Oceans Day and Coral Triangle Day. Produced with technical support from geospatial monitoring firm SkyTruth, it is the first study to map the overlap between offshore oil and gas concessions, and Sensitive Marine Environments (SME) across Malaysian waters. RimbaWatch director Adam Farhan said the findings were particularly alarming given

GAGA FOR GADGETS ... Visitors browse

specialised underwater

housing units and advanced photography during the 20th Malaysia International Dive Expo 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/ THESUN

Immediate enforcement ordered over misuse of social visit passes

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

restaurants or others,” he told reporters after the monthly Home Ministry briefing at the Setia Perkasa complex yesterday. Saifuddin said enforcement against immigration violators was already an ongoing task under the ministry, including action against those who entered without valid documents, overstayed or misused their passes. He stressed that the current concern centred specifically on foreigners conducting trading activities under

Ismail said the matter was raised at last Friday’s Cabinet meeting after Anwar received complaints about visitors who entered the country on social passes but proceeded to run commercial operations. “What we discussed in the recent Cabinet meeting was that there have been incidents in which foreigners enter the country on social visit passes but conduct business while here. “They run businesses, whether salons,

PUTRAJAYA: Enforcement agencies have been ordered to act immediately against foreigners who misuse social visit passes to operate businesses in Malaysia, following direct public complaints received by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution