Sabah has taken another step to strengthen its autonomy in environmental management.
This follows discussions with Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup on the implementation of Article 95C of the Federal Constitution concerning the management of scheduled waste in the state.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Jafry Ariffin, who led the state delegation in paying a courtesy call on Arthur, said they discussed the transfer of authority in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Jafry said the Sabah government is committed to ensuring the state has full authority to implement and enforce environmental legislation based on local needs.
As part of preparations, he said Sabah will ensure all nine readiness criteria are met, including technical infrastructure, an online reporting system and adequate human resource capacity, before the transition of powers is fully implemented in November 2026.
“With strong synergy between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), the Sabah government and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah (KePKAS), Sabah is now in a stronger position to enhance environmental management that is efficient, effective and resilient,” he said.
Jafry expressed appreciation to all parties involved, particularly Arthur and the leadership of NRES, for their continued cooperation and support.
He said the engagement is expected to benefit the delegation involved and contribute to the well-being of the people of Sabah.
