KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Environment (DOE) is facing an acute shortage of staff and needs to increase its manpower by almost fourfold in order to manage tens of thousands of pollution cases it faces each year.
DOE director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said the current workforce of 1,111 enforcement personnel is inadequate to effectively oversee industries, development projects and residential areas throughout the country.
“Thus, we require 3,000 additional officers to get the job done.
“There are more than 64,000 venues or locations that require monitoring, and with the manpower we have, we can only handle about 20,000 cases a year. We are unable to check on over 40,000 cases.
“This does not include vehicle-related offences such as exhaust emissions from millions of vehicles on the road, which is also a crucial area that we must look into. And that is not all, we also have to handle over 11,000 public complaints every year,” he said.
Wan Abdul Latiff said because of the manpower shortage, the DOE has to prioritise its operations by focusing on problematic factories with a history of violations, as well as those located near water sources with a risk of releasing toxic waste.
“Sometimes our officers need to postpone these inspections and focus on a fresh complaint that may need immediate attention,” he said during a media engagement session here themed “Balancing Facts, Perception and Enforcement”.
Wan Abdul Latiff said the DOE requires at least 3,000 additional officers to complement the current 1,111 officers and to carry out enforcement work effectively.
“We have submitted the proposal to the government, and hope it will be approved so that enforcement can be strengthened,” he said.
On another matter, he said the DOE is also advocating for stronger self-regulation among industries with the aim of turning compliance into a culture rather than being pressured by enforcement.
Wan Abdul Latiff said under the guided self-regulation (GSR) system, companies are encouraged to conduct their own assessments, monitor their operations for environmental impact and carry out corrective measures before the authorities step in.
“This approach has helped reduce repeat violations while promoting greater transparency and accountability within the industrial sector,” he said.
Wan Abdul Latiff said the DOE’s move of empowering or delegating other agencies and local councils to undertake issues related to pollution and the environment is a strategic step to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of enforcement on the ground.
He said the move reduces overlapping duties between agencies and ensures faster response to pollution cases that require immediate action.
Wan Abdul Latiff urged the public to continue reporting or tipping off the DOE on cases involving pollution or environmental hazards.
