Updates of Water Environment
Governance in Malaysia
Ang Shin Ying
Research Officer
Water Quality and Environment Research Centre,
National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM)
30 January, 2024
The 19th Annual Meeting in Hayama, Japan1

1. Goals of water environment• Purpose: prevention, abatement, control of pollution and enhancementof the environment• Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127) – key legislative• Regulatory agency: Department of Environment (DOE), Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES)• Subsidiary legislations related to water environment:• Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil) Regulations
1977• Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Raw Natural Rubber)Regulations 1978
• Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005
• Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations 2009
• Environmental Quality (Control of Pollution from Solid Waste Transfer
Station and Landfill) Regulations 2009
• Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations 2009
• Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental ImpactAssessment) Order 20152

1. Goals of water environment• Other related legislative:•••••

Water Services Industry Act (WSIA) 2006
Local Government Act 1976
Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974
State Water Resources Enactment
Local authority by-laws• Water Quality Related Standards and Index• National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia - DOE• Water Quality Index (WQI) for rivers - DOE• Malaysian Marine Water Quality Standards and Index (Revised) –Developed by DOE• Malaysian Groundwater Quality Standards and Index (2019) –Developed by DOE• National Lake Water Quality Criteria and Standards (2015) –Developed by NAHRIM (Approved by National Water Resources
Council in 2015)• National Standard for Drinking Water Quality (2000) – Developedby Ministry of Health (MOH)3

1. Goals of water environment

Source: DOE, 2022a

1. Goals of water environment

Source: DOE, 2022a5

1. Goals of water environment

Source: DOE, 2022a

2. Assess the status of water environment
Department of Environment (DOE)

Source: DOE, 2022a
DOE, 2022b

Environmental Quality Monitoring Programme (EQMP) Data collection of river water quality and marine water quality throughout Malaysia forthe purpose of reporting the actual level of the nation’s environmental quality in aneffort to monitor, prevent and control pollution.
 Act as an early warning mechanism during the occurrence of environmental pollution
such as oil spills, industrial disasters and illegal dumping of toxic and harmful wastes.
 Assist the policy and decision makers on the enforcement of the activities by theDepartment of Environment (DOE) and related agencies to provide input to theplanning of project developments.

Example: River Water Quality
 To determine the status of river water quality and to detect changes in quality.
 Water samples-collected for in-situ and laboratory analysis to determine its
physical-chemical and biological characteristics.
 The Water Quality Index (WQI)-indicate the level of pollution and thecorresponding suitability in terms of water uses according to NWQS.
72. Assess the status of water environment
River Monitoring• Year 2022
• Department of Environment (DOE)• Total of 672 rivers• Upstream water intakes monitoring – 55 stations• Manual river water quality monitoring – 1,353stations• River water quality – 8,136 sampling• Continuous river water quality monitoring (CRWQM)• 26 rivers• 30 stations• 17 parameters

Source: DOE, 2022a

2. Assess the status of water environment
Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Station and Water Intakes

9Peninsular Malaysia

East Malaysia

Source: DOE, 2022a

2. Assess the status of water environment

River Water Quality Trend 2018 - 2022

Environmental Quality
Report by DOE (Annually)

Source: DOE, 2022a
Percentage of Compliance with Class II (CRWQM)

103. Identify pollution sources
Manufacturing
Industries

Wet Markets

5 MainWater
Pollution
SourcesParameters

Main Sources

BOD & AN

Sewage Treatment Systems

SSPig Farming

Agriculturebased
Industries

3 Main Parameters:BOD
SSAN
Total Load in Tonnes/ Day

SewageTreatment
Plant

Pig FarmingBOD 667.25
SS 915.17
AN 274.61

 Point Sources – industry, livestock & STP
 Non-point sources – agricultural activities, earthworks, mining and sullage/ greywater
Source: DOE, 2022a 11

3. Identify pollution sources

Source: DOE, 2022a12

4. Implement measures to address issues• Sewage Treatment Facilities• Upgrading the sewage treatment facilities with modern andgreen technology to accommodate higher PE and catchment
area, e.g. Pantai 2 RSTP.
• Centralising the sewage treatment facilities and network, e.g.
Langat Centralised STP using modern and green technology toreduce pollution to Langat River.
• Reclaimed water from STP, e.g. Setia Alam water reclamation
plant (WRP) for industrial water demand.

• Pig Farming• Modern pig farms – enclosed house, zero discharge,
biosecurity controls, buffer zone between farms and otherbuildings (State of Penang).
• Strengthening enforcement and monitoring on effluent quality.
• Communication, educational and public awareness (CEPA).
13

4. Implement measures to address issues• Wet Markets• Construction of wastewater treatment
plant (WWTP) for wet markets, e.g. underRiver of Life (ROL) project in Kuala
Lumpur (Gombak dan Klang River Basin)• Influent from Class V to Class I for
effluent at KL Wholesale Market• Development of Guidelines by theFederal government (KPKT, 2019)

Source: DBKL, 2016
DBKL, 2023

14

5. Evaluating outcomes and revising policies• Project basis – not applied to all river basins.
• Existence of other point and non-point pollution sources without
treatment or illegal discharge/ dumping.
• Implementation of Water Sector Transformation (WST) 2040
• Objectives: Water security & sustainability; water as an economic
opportunity• 4 phases of transformation:••••

Phase 1: 12 MP (2021-2025)
Phase 2: 13 MP (2026 – 2030)
Phase 3: 14 MP (2031 -2035)
Phase 4: 15 MP (2036 – 2040)• Under 12th Malaysian Plan (2021-2025): accelerating the adoption ofIntegrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).
• 10 TMDL studies conducted for critical rivers by 2025
• 98% coverage of safely managed sanitation system in rural area by 2025
• Development and implementation of IRBM plans (17 on-going studies)• Mitigating water pollution• Environmental Quality (Amendment) Bill 2023 – enhancedpenalties for offences under the Act with maximum fine of RM
10.0 million for illegally polluting the inland waters.
• Status: First reading on 16 November 2023 in the parliament.

15

6. Challenges and future plans• Challenges:• Pollution from point and non-point sources are governed under different
laws, including the Environmental Quality Act 1974, State Water
Resources Enactment, Local Government Act 1976 and Water Services
Industry Act 2006.
• These have resulted in inadequate penalties for polluters, inability toregulate emerging pollutants and poor enforcement.
• The IWRM is not effectively implemented due to different sectoral
policies by the Federal, state and local governments.
• Lack/Ineffective Monitoring and Enforcement .
• Lack of awareness from the public – river as dumping site.
• Standards were also not revised to capture emerging pollutants arisingfrom human activities, namely pharmaceutical, agricultural, other organic
wastewater contaminants, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
• Standards are not robust enough to indicate the health of rivers, naturallakes, reservoirs and groundwater.
• The absence of maximum amounts of pollutants allowed in the river tofacilitate development planning.
• Lack of sewerage infrastructure which has waste recovery facilities forbio-effluents and bio-sludge.
• The use of sewerage by-products and general negative perception
accorded to these by-products and their acceptance by the public.
• Bio-sludge is listed as scheduled wastes under the EQA 1974.
16

6. Challenges and future plans• Future plans:• Law amendments, i.e. EQA 1974 & WSIA 2006
• Development/ revision of guidelines, standards• Strengthening enforcement• Zero discharge policy• The implementation of TMDL & IRBM
• More water reclamation plants (WRPs) at STPs & recycling ofindustrial effluent• Nature-based approach• CEPA programme• Water Sector Transformation (WST) 204017

REFERENCES•••••••••••••DBKL (2016). Wastewater Treatment in Wet Markets of Kuala Lumpur. Department Of CivilEngineering And Urban Transportation, Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
DBKL (2023). WWTP Pasar Borong Kuala Lumpur, Pasar Jinjang Utara dan Pasar Batu 5. Kuala
Lumpur City Hall.
DOE (2022a). Environmental Quality Report 2022. Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia.
DOE (2022b). DOE Annual Report 2022. Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia.
EPU (2021). Twelfth Malaysia Plan 2021 – 2025: A Prosperous, Inclusive, Sustainable Malaysia.
Available online: https://rmke12.ekonomi.gov.my/en
EPU & ASM (2022). Water Transformation Sector (WST) 2040 Final Report: Volume 1. Available
online: https://wst2040.my/
KPKT (2019). Garis Panduan Pengurusan Pasar Malam, Pasar Harian dan Pasar Tani di Kawasan
Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan.
Langat Sewerage Project. Available online: https://www.langatsp.com/cstpinformation/overview.html
The Star (2022). Rapid development of national sewerage system for the conservation of waterresources. Available online: https://www.thestar.com.my/starpicks/2022/12/22/rapiddevelopment-of-national-sewerage-system-for-the-conservation-of-water-resources
Nair, V. (2019). Meeting industrial demand for water. Star Metro. Available online:
https://www.nrecc.gov.my/PustakaMedia/Keratan%20Akhbar/Value%20of%20wastewater.pdf
Skrine (2023). Environmental Quality (Amendment) Bill 2023 with Enhanced Penalties re-tabled.
Available online: https://www.skrine.com/insights/alerts/november-2023/environmental-qualityamendment-bill-2023-with-enh
Wong, S.L. (2022a). When Malaysian Laws Put the Brakes on Pig Farm Pollution. Macaranga.
Available online: https://earthjournalism.net/stories/when-malaysian-laws-put-the-brakes-on-pigfarm-pollution
Wong, S.L. (2022b). Maklumbalas JAS: Pencemaran Sungai Ladang Khinzir. Macaranga. Available
online: https://www.macaranga.org/maklumbalas-jas-pencemarang-sungai-ladang-khinzir/ 18

Thank you for your attention…

19