PUTRAJAYA: The Department of Environment (DOE) has stressed that all procedures related to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) are carried out in accordance with processes certified under the MS ISO 9001:2015 standard to ensure reviews and decisions are conducted professionally, systematically and with accountability.
The department said since January 2025, and with the support of the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES), it has continued providing public access to executive summaries of First Schedule and Second Schedule EIA reports.
The summaries can be accessed at any time through the Enviro Digital Library@DOE website at https://edl.doe.gov.my/.
Members of the public who wish to access full EIA reports may submit an official application form available on the department’s website at https://www.doe.gov.my/perkongsian-datadan-laporan/ to the DOE headquarters or state DOE offices.
The department said access to the reports would be arranged by appointment at the DOE Library.
"This approach ensures a balance between public transparency and DOE’s responsibility to manage official government documents in a controlled and responsible manner.
"It also takes into account security aspects, document ownership rights and compliance with current policies and regulations,” it said in a statement on Tuesday (May 26).
The department also clarified that its role is to assess, review and consider EIA reports based on technical requirements, legal compliance and environmental impact before projects are approved.
It said the department would continue strengthening document management and EIA-related services in a professional, transparent and responsible manner to safeguard environmental sustainability and public interest, in line with the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127) and existing regulations.
Recently, an environmental watchdog reportedly criticised the DOE’s handling of EIA reports, raising concerns over transparency and public access after allegedly facing difficulties accessing EIA documents through the department’s online database. - Bernama
