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INTEGRATED COASTAL DEVELFMENT IN MALAYSIA
AIS POs$BLE REGIOT.IAL IMPLICATIOI{S
A. Maheswaran
Division of Environment, Minis[ry of Science, Technology and Environment
Kuala LunPur, MalaYsia
ABSTRACT
Development. in Malaysia depends in large part m the exploitation of its rich
resources including marine resources. An increasing awareness of lhe limits Lo
these resources has led to a strategy for environmental manaqement implemented
at dif f erent levels of government through the Environment Division of the
Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. The strategy includes Lhe
reduction of existing pollution through statutory and non-statutory controlsr and
environrnental planning to avoid emerging problems Lhrough guidelines and zoning.
An environmenial impact assessment proceedure is in preparation. Inplementation
requires realistic approaches backed by sustained enforcement. Regional
eo-qeration is important to control marine pollution, and is being developed
Lhrough the ASEAN Sub-regional Environment Programme. Education is also
necessary to ensure the inLegration of environmenLel dimensions with development.
lntroduction
The present prosperity and relat.ively high living standard of Malaysians draw heavily
on Malaysia,s rich renewable and non-renewable resources ranging from forestry, land, fossil
fuels and minerals to tlre most baSic nesources of atl such as water.
Annng these resources, Malaysia has a relatively long coaslline of about 41800 km
endowed wiih valuable marine resources and ecosystem. There are extensive beaches which
serve as national amenities, not lo nention tourist ettractionsr and mangrove swampg
amounting to l47rl80 hectares in Peninsular Malaysia, I75r890 hectares in Sarawak and
170,148 hectares in Sabah. In addition, the Strait of Malacca is the most important fishing
ground in Peninsular Malaysia, accounting for approximately 400r000 rnetric tons or 70
percent of the total fish landings, whilst the South China Sea waters bordering the east coast
produced ryproximately 150,000 tonnes of fish in 1978. This provides employment for over
50,m0 fishermen working aboard licensed boats.
For many years the major environmental problems in Malaysia stemmed predominantly
from the lack of development and inadequate infrastructure, in short the pollution of poverty.
To break free from this the country for a decade and nnre after Independence adopled plans
for sccelerated developnent progremmes including mining, forestry, estate developmentt
agriculture, land eettlement and industriat development. Ttn high rate of sustained economic
divelopment has rnade substantial inroads into the neservee of minerals, soils, foregts end
water to the extent that some resources may be exhaueted by the end of the present century.
Ttn Malaysian experience shows how crucial it is for small developing countries to
protect the source of their wealth, both currently aveilable and that of the future. Since
most baaic resources are finite, these countries must be constantly vigilant to ensure
faraighted and enlightened resource husbandry at all times. ln particular renewable nesoutceg
require a hnalthy environnent. Thus the right bdance between &velopment and the
environnent has to be struck.