There is no evidence that the previous government worked on a bill on climate change, said Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
He made the revelation at a forum yesterday, in response to a question on the reason behind the postponement of the bill.
“I think my predecessor Yeo Bee Yin started initiating the move for the climate change act (during her 2018-2020 tenure), a lot of good work was done at that time.
“Then last year, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man announced that the climate change act will be passed this year.
“So when I took office, I tried to look at what’s there on the table with regards to the act. Unfortunately, there’s nothing,” Nik Nazmi said at Greenpeace Malaysia’s Climate Justice Forum yesterday.
Last September, then environment and water minister Tuan Ibrahim was reported as saying the bill was being finalised and would be tabled this year.
However, Nik Nazmi, in the Dewan Rakyat last month, indicated that the bill has gone back to the drawing board, saying its development is expected to take two to three years.
Meanwhile, asked if the previous bill was bare-bones, he refused to divulge further details, merely saying Putrajaya has begun consultation sessions and is in the process of preparing a draft.
Acknowledging the urgency to table the bill in the august House, the Setiawangsa MP said it could not be made any quicker but hoped it would not be delayed for too long.
“We want to create it as soon as possible but we also want to do it as properly as possible.
“I want to have engagements with civil societies and academicians so that when it’s passed, it’s a proper law.
“I don’t want to just ‘Yay, I have ticked a box. I have done a climate change act’, which is meaningless,” he said. - Mkini
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