Alumni Reflections on the IOI Training Program

Abstract

Malaysia’s institutional and legal framework for ocean governance is sectoral. There are as many policies as there are agencies involved in various aspects of ocean governance, with each agency often working in isolation in decisionmaking as well as in competing for federal funding and resources. As the Malaysian constitution does not explicitly provide guarantees for a healthy and clean environment, the courts are hesitant to adopt a more robust approach in upholding environmental laws, facilitating public interest litigation, and clarifying the division of responsibility for environmental governance. Having environmental provisions in the constitution would lay the foundation for the development of environmental ethics in decision-making; however, there is insufficient push towards that direction from the people and the government, as in the case with many other countries, although some have begun to address the issue. This is where education comes into play in creating a deeper awareness of and the need for ocean leadership and governance, and to initiate this important and necessary discourse.