Report any damage to environment, judge says
Published on: Friday, October 21, 2016
Tawau: Communities must be sensitive and report on crimes committed against the environment to ensure the State's environment can be sustained for the future generations. Sessions Court Judge Egusra Alis said this during the launching of the Nature Programme organised by the Tawau Court Working Group on Environment here on Wednesday. The programme was held in collaboration with SMK Pasir Putih.
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Egusra said that nature and wildlife also need protection and fair treatment. "We cannot depend on the protected species to file their cases in court. This is impossible. "But it is possible if everyone takes a joint responsibility towards its protection, as well as work together in protecting the environment for the future generations," he said. He said the court will play its role as the judicial administrators and use the provisions of the law to penalise those who had committed a crime against the environment. He said the community including students must play the role towards achieving a smart management of the environment and be the "eyes and ears" of the government on environmental violations. He also stressed that the role of environmental protection should not rest on the government and the agencies alone.
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Egusra said the programme was the idea of the Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum in 2014 where at the time the court had recorded a huge amount of environmental cases. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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A lecture titled Environmental Violation was also presented by Magistrate Muhammad Faizal Ceh Saad followed by a prizegiving ceremony to 10 best participants and a symbolic flower planting ceremony.
