Azmi, who is also the Election Commission deputy chairman, said it was key that the public’s engagements with decision-making bodies about the environment be meaningful.

The former law lecturer in Universiti Malaya also said that decision-making bodies must be compelled to explain their actions, adding that it would act as a deterrent to decisions which were bad for the environment.

“There has to be accountability. With regards to decisions by the local authorities, the lack of elections means the direct accountability is lacking,” he said at the annual My Iskandar Law Conference here on Thursday.

“I don’t see local elections coming back any time soon.”

Azmi was speaking on the “Development of Environmental Law” at the conference which was jointly organised by My Iskandar Sdn Bhd and the Law Chambers of Vin Sa & Ian. FMT is the media partner for the event.

He said there were two clear avenues under which the public could participate in decision-making processes on environmental matters, namely, the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) and the Environmental Quality Act – which governs the environmental impact assessment (EIA).

However, Azmi said that under the TCPA, only a narrow class of people were allowed to comment on development.

“Essentially, unless your property is in close proximity to a development project, you do not have the right to comment to the local authority. For EIAs, the right to comment is limited to detailed reports, which is a small number,” he said.

“As for the vast majority of EIA reports, the authors are obliged to consult with the community. However, there are no clear guidelines as to whom this could mean.”