An international environmental group today welcomed the possibility of special courts being set up in Malaysia to handle environment cases.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said the proposal, recently mentioned by the chief justice, would boost efforts to protect the environment in the South-East Asian country.

“We are certain that the proposed establishment of a specialised court that adjudicates environmental matters will go long way in ensuring strict implementation, enforcement and compliance of environmental laws and policy in the country,” said Dionysius Sharma,
executive director of WWF-Malaysia.

Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria told a group of judges and lawyers on Saturday that environmental crimes are a serious threat.

“If need be, specialised courts will be set up to handle environmental cases to create awareness among members of the public on the importance of the environment,” he said.

- dpa