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lrplemcntatim of etrategY
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ln putting the strategy to work, the need for a pragmatic, systematicr qraduated-and
co-ordineled pproach not just at the level of the environnent prolection agency but of all
environrnentally-1s1sird agencies including research institutions and universities, cannot be
over'emphaaized.
In the context of developing eountries particularly, environnental control regulationst
however skilfully formulated and drafted in themselves, constitute no maqic cure for the
environnrental ilis of society. An immense amount of herd work is necessary to ensure that
the stendards set are realistic in terms of protecting the environnent, that lhe technology
for treatment ia either available or can be developed readily, and that the treatment involved
is cost-effective in the ense of being within the rneans of the industry concerned. This has
to be backed up by aystematic and suitained enforcenent to get across the rnessage that the
authorities meen business.
The succegs to date in Malaysia in reducing environrnentel Pollution to manageabb
proportions is in the main due to the pragmatic, systematic end business-like pproach
eonsistently adopted by the Environrnent Division, backed r.rp. by an uncomPromisingr firm yet
fair pproach to enforcing the regul,ations in the public interest.
Tfn good working relationships built up over an extended period of time with the
nesearch inititutiona in Malaysia, all five universities, and a whole spectrum of public sector
egencies at both the Federal and State levels, have stood us in good stead.
Reqional co-operation
Marine pollution control is a very complex probbm. It requires control not only of
activities m tne sea itEelf but also of activities m land. Further the means of the world
flow together. In thie snse, they are an ecological wfrole and it is right to think of rnarine
pollution as a single problem. But when thinking in terms of solution, it is more helpful to
Ittint in terms oi different levels of problems - global problems, regional problems and
nalional problems.
The need for co-qeration in the ASEAN (Association of South-East Aeian Nations)
region is considerable since the member states ehare not only many common problems, but
also similar charscteristiee of the coastal and marine environrnent. Further, the economies of
the member states in ASEAN depend on the seas through fishing, of f -shore petroleum
production, mining and shipping.
Co-qeration among ASEAN member states can and should take place in the following
afeaS:
(a) monitoring the quality of the marine environrnent;
(b) establishing close rapport among ASEAN countries m rnsritime activities which have a
direct impact m the merine environnrntl
(c) developing effluent standards for discharge of polluting effluents directly or indirectly
into the rngrine environmentl
(d) conducting leaearch pertaining to rnarine pollution and its effects m the living aquatic
FeSOUrCeSi
(e) conducting inter-calibretion exercises involving the determination, in water and in
biological tissues, of heavy metals through atomic absonption spectrophotometryt
organoehlorine pesticide and PCB's through gas chromatographyr and dissolved and
disperaed petroleum hydrocarbms through gectrofluorometry;
(f) holding workshop/seminars of scientists involved in research in the marine environment
to promote the dissemination and exchange of information and experiencel
(g)
organizing training progremmes for technicel staf f engaged in rnarine pollution
investigations;