Oil, gas ventures and expansion near protected waters raise ecological concerns, says environmentalist
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s fossil fuel industry – particularly its growing role as a major exporter of fossil gas – remains one of the country’s most significant yet under-scrutinised contributors to global climate change, according to RimbaWatch director Adam Farhan.
He said many large-scale oil and gas developments are taking place within or near protected marine ecosystems, but continue to escape public attention due to limited transparency and weak regulatory scrutiny.
“The single biggest contributor towards global climate change is our fossil fuel industry.
Many of the projects are located in marine protected areas, such as Tun Mustapha Park located off the north coast of Sabah and Luconia Shoals National Park in the South China Sea, about 163km to 254 km off the coast of Sarawak, yet they are often overlooked because of a lack of publicly accessible environmental impact assessments and broader scrutiny,” he said.
Among the most concerning developments is the recently identified SB304 oil and gas exploration block off the coast of Sabah.
Adam revealed that the block overlaps entirely with two gazetted marine protected areas in Sabah – the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area and Turtle Islands Park – while also bordering the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary.
“Some of the geological exploration leads are located directly within these protected zones,” he said, warning that such overlaps could have severe implications for biodiversity and conservation efforts in the region.
While offshore oil and gas projects are concentrated in Sabah, Adam stressed that deforestation remains a nationwide concern.
“Even areas close to Kuala Lumpur are not spared,” he said, pointing to mounting threats to green lungs such as North Kiara Forest situated near Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Sri Hartamas and Ayer Itam Forest Reserve in Puchong.
He added that ongoing and upcoming developments could place additional strain on forests, biodiversity and local communities over the next six to 12 months.
Adam also raised concerns about systemic weaknesses in Malaysia’s environmental governance, particularly in relation to climate policy.
“Despite fossil fuels being the primary driver of climate change, there is effectively no climate-based regulation of the industry.
At the same time, the government is pursuing growth in this sector rather than a phase-out, which runs counter to climate science.”
He urged Malaysians to pay closer attention to the environmental impact of oil and gas developments, particularly in ecologically sensitive marine areas.
Malaysia’s waters form part of the globally important Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion and the Coral Triangle Initiative, both recognised for their extraordinary marine biodiversity.
“The ecosystems are among the most biodiverse in the world, but oil and gas activities pose serious risks – from habitat destruction and underwater noise to the potential for oil spills.”
Adam also cautioned against taking broad environmental commitments at face value, noting that official metrics can sometimes obscure underlying realities.
“For instance, our pledge to maintain 50% forest cover can be misleading when industrial monoculture plantations – such as timber latex clone and acacia – are counted as forests.
In theory, natural forests could be replaced with monocultures while still meeting that target.”
He stressed that both corporate and government claims on sustainability must be closely examined. “The devil is often in the details,” he said.
