What is the legal framework for the Nature Conservation Agreement? - Justin

7 Dec 2021

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: Sri Tanjong Assemblyman (DAP) Justin Wong has asked the government to lay out the legal framework or statutory legislation for the Nature Conservation Agreement (NCA).

He said this should include the existing legal framework from both state and federal government levels which can regulate carbon trading.

"Without the law, who is going to be responsible to regulate the operator when things go wrong?

"Looking at the magnitude of this agreement, we do not want to see another 1MDB-like scandal happening on our own soil!”

He said this in his debate during the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, today.

Previously, it was revealed that the NCA had been signed between the state government and Hoch Standard, a company from Singapore on Oct 30.

However, the Sabah State Attorney General Chamber has questioned the authenticity of the company.

According to Justin, the NCA agreement would give the private company the exclusive right and authority to develop a natural capital management plan and generate finance from the benefits of natural capital in designated areas including carbon (carbon trading).

"With hindsight, I am not opposed to carbon trading if it is managed with transparency and good governance. Unfortunately, what shocked me is that this matter was never brought to the DUN for discussion.

"I am very disappointed with Adun Tambunan Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s statement, who stated that there is no need to bring it to the DUN because it is not related to the enactment of the legislation," he added.

"As a junior state assembly member, I also understand that everything that will bring changes to the government's financial position needs to be discussed in the DUN.

"In this booklet, even the supply of food and clothing for next year also needs to be detailed in this book. What more about this megal deal which is going to involve hundreds of millions," he said.