KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah has taken a further step to strengthen its environmental autonomy following a courtesy visit by state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Jafry Ariffin to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup.
The meeting on Monday focused on the implementation of Article 95C of the Federal Constitution in relation to the management of scheduled waste in Sabah.
Discussions underscored the state government’s commitment to securing full authority to implement and enforce environmental laws based on local needs, in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
As part of preparations, Sabah will ensure all nine readiness criteria are met, including legislation, technical infrastructure, online reporting systems and human resource capacity, ahead of the full transfer of powers targeted for November 2026.
The collaboration between the federal ministry, the Sabah government and the state Environment Protection Department is expected to strengthen sustainable, efficient and resilient environmental management in Sabah.