Petition to stop Marine Parks Dept's transfer to Agriculture Ministry gains traction

PETALING JAYA: A petition appealing the Government to reconsider transferring the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia (DMPM) to the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry (MOA) is gaining traction.

The change.org petition has gathered over 3,500 signatures as of 4pm Friday (Oct 26).

Started by ReefCheck Malaysia, the petition calls for the DMPM to be placed under a resource conservation ministry like the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry (KATS) or the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry.

"We believe it is in the best interests of Malaysia's coral reefs, and the communities that rely on them, that conservation of these important resources remain under the control of a ministry charged with resource conservation and not a ministry charged with resource utilisation (MOA)," the petition read.

"If this government really believes in protecting the environment then they should reconsider this move," it said.

Petition supporter Godwin Supramaniam said he is concerned that conservation of our marine assets and reefs will be neglected if the DMPM is placed under the MOA.

"Marine parks are becoming more scarce every day. They need to be protected for future generations, not treated as an agricultural resource," Alistair Green said.

"Leave the management of protected areas in the hands of those who protect it rather than depletes it," Siew Yeen Lee said.

On Thursday, The Star Online reported that the move to MOA had been proposed to the Cabinet.

"The Ministry's goal is to maximise resource extraction, it seems to me that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry's mindset is at odds with a resource conservation mindset," said Reefcheck Malaysia general manager Julian Hyde.

"There is a conflict there... The resource extraction mindset will overcome the resource conservation mindset," he added.