Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg (right) striking a gong to open the 10th World Congress of Herpetology in Kuching yesterday. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Sarawak plans to amend its National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance to provide better environmental protection and impose stiffer penalties, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.
The Premier said the state Attorney General was studying the legislation to improve the management of national parks in Sarawak.
“Once the study has been done and recommended by the Attorney General, we will discuss the details in the state Cabinet.
“We will then bring it to the State Legislative Assembly for the amendments,” he told reporters after opening the 10th World Congress of Herpetology here yesterday.
Abang Johari said it was important to improve the state’s environmental protocols to ensure that its biodiversity was preserved.
Separately, Abang Johari said Sarawak was sending a delegation to Australia to learn about its crocodile management.
“We want to study how Australia manages their crocodiles, including when and how to cull them without going against international standards,” he said.
Previous reports estimated that Sarawak’s crocodile population nearly doubled from 13,500 in 2014 to almost 25,000 in 2023.
