Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim environmental researcher Evelyn Teh, and Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Malaysia CEO Andrew Sebastian said this would better ensure the independence of consultants.

They were commenting on Bakri MP Yeo Bee Yin’s proposal in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

Under the current practice, private developers are free to hire their own consultants to conduct EIAs and produce assessment reports.

Yeo, a former energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister, said this encouraged consultants to produce reports favourable to the developers.

Teh said Yeo’s proposal was a good start, but reiterated that other critical elements of the EIA process needed to be re-evaluated as well.

“These include updating the EIA guidelines to reflect the current environment, such as the impact in relation to climate change and socioeconomic situations,” she told FMT.

“Also, there is a need to review the current structure of the EIA reporting process and the methodologies used in the assessments and to improve the technical and public review processes.”

Should Yeo’s proposal be adopted, she said, DoE would need to have mechanisms to curb corruption and monopolies and to establish processes for the appointment of consultants.

Sebastian told FMT the need for transparency in EIAs was urgent.

“For far too long, developers have used loopholes in the laws for their own benefit to the detriment of the environment,” he said.

“Consultants are paid handsomely to generate reports and most of the time they are not critical of the contractors because they are the paymasters.

“It is only common sense that reports are watered down or glossed over to the benefit of the developers.”