KMKK Must Be Empowered To Monitor Environmental Impacts Of Development
LAWAS: Community and Village Leaders (KMKK) must be empowered as frontline ground monitors to assist the government in detecting early any development activities that hold potential to affect the environment in Lawas District.
Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, stated that the involvement of KMKK and local communities is crucial to ensuring that rapid development in the district can be executed in a balanced manner without neglecting environmental sustainability.
“The environment is not the sole responsibility of the government; it is a shared responsibility of the entire community.
“KMKK hold a very important position as a bridge between the community and government agencies,” he said.
He said this when speaking at the Seminar on Empowering KMKK in Environmental Care Towards Sustainable Development of Lawas District 2026 on Monday.
According to him, development should not be evaluated solely based on economic growth and physical development, but must instead take into account its effects on the environment and community wellbeing.
He noted that KMKK can assist by relaying information regarding issues such as open burning, river pollution, illegal dumping, and encroachment on sensitive areas to relevant agencies for further action.
He also emphasised the need to shift the environmental care approach from reactive measures after an issue occurs to continuous monitoring and prevention.
At the same time, Controller of Environmental Quality Sarawak, Datu Jack Liam, stated that a total of 34 development projects in Lawas are currently being monitored by the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) to ensure compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval conditions.
These projects comprise 13 infrastructure projects, six real estate projects, one forestry project, 10 agricultural projects, as well as four quarry and mining projects.
“NREB officers cannot be on the ground every single day.
“Therefore, the cooperation of KMKK and the local community is greatly needed to channel information and input regarding development activities in their respective areas,” he said.
He noted that collaboration among NREB, KMKK, and local communities will help reinforce environmental monitoring and enforcement, particularly as Lawas continues to grow with various development projects.
At the same event, a total of 193 compensation cheques and 63 land title letters were presented to recipients involved in the Northern Coastal Highway (NCH) project and the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) alignment. — UKASnews
