The current draft of the Environmental Quality (Marine Oil Pollution Control) Regulations will set oil emission limits for ships and marine installations in Malaysian waters.
The regulations will also require all marine installation facilities, such as ports including those involved in oil storage and drilling, to prepare contingency plans in the event an oil spill occurs.
“The stakeholders have been consulted on the development of a comprehensive and effective Environmental Quality (Marine Oil Pollution Control) Regulations draft,” said Wan Junaidi in his keynote address at the National Symposium on Marine Pollution Management here today.
He revealed there were 121 oil spills in Malaysia between 2009 to December 2015 with 15 of these incidents occurring along the beaches of Terengganu and Pahang last year alone.
“We cannot say that the environment is not important. The IS (Islamic State) and extremism are critical, but the environment can kill us quietly if we’re not careful.”
Wan Junaidi also said the guidelines on the use of oil spill dispersants have also been updated, with the establishment of a task force comprising experts from government agencies and related stakeholders.
“Hopefully, these guidelines will help improve the speed and efficiency in implementing oil spill control initiatives.”