LAWS OF MALAYSIA - FAO

1 LAWSOFMALAYSIAACT 127 ENVIRONMENTALQUALITY ACT 1974 Incorporatinglatest amendment-Act A1102/2001 Dateof RoyalAssent:8th March 1974 Dateof publication in theGazette :14 March1974 Dateofcoming into operation :15 April 1975[ (B)113/75]ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONSLong Title &PreamblePART I-PRELIMINARYS ection title, applicationand II-ADMINISTRATIONS ection other environmental of office and eligibilityfor ,resignationand vacation from of meetings, quorum,voting, procedureand officer at III-LICENCESS ection to attachconditions to renewal of of tocomply with IV-PROHIBITIONAND CONTROL OF POLLUTIONS ection premises to be against causing vehicle, shiporpremises tobecomeprescribed conveyanceorprescribed and to specify conditions of emission, discharge, onpollution of the on noise onpollution of the onpollution of 26.

2 [Deleted]Section ofdischarge of oilinto Malaysian of discharge of wastes into onopen 29 AAExclusion from"open burning".Section occupier ofpremises liable prohibit use of anymaterial to control use of substance and product and to state environmental to specify ruleson deposit and rebate schemesSection to require occupier to install, operate, repair, order, oroccupier to maintain and operate to prohibit or controllicensed personsfromdischarging, etc. of wastes in on impact onenvironment resulting from IVA-CONTROLOF SCHEDULEDWASTESS ection against placing, deposit, etc. of V-APPEAL AND APPEAL BOARDS ection ANDENVIRONMENTAL FUNDS ection environmental Fund the the VI-MISCELLANEOUSS ection orOccupier to to stop,board, search, to examine personacquainted with of for offences not otherwiseprovided by bodies of persons and by servants of Courtand Court of a Magistrateof the First Class to have to seize vehicleor forfeitureor of vehicleor shipSection costs ordamagesarising from seizure unless seizure made without reasonable for loss ordamage of recovery of costsand to detain and sell vehicleor test and prohibituseof.

3 Validity[Act A1102]LIST OF AMENDMENTSLong Title & PreambleAnActrelatingtotheprevention,aba tement,controlofpollutionandenhancemento ftheenvironment,and for purposes connected ,andbytheauthority of the same,as follows:PART I PRELIMINARYS ection 1. Short title,applicationandcommencement.(1)This ActmaybecitedastheEnvironmentalQualityAc t1974andshallapplytothewholeofMalaysia.( 2)ThisActshallcomeintoforceonsuchdateast heMinistermayappointbyanotificationinthe GazetteandtheMinistermayappointdifferent datesforthecomingintoforceofdifferentpro visionsofthisActandmaybringalloranyprovi sionsthereofintoforceeitherinthewholeofM alaysiatowhichthenotificationapplies or such areaas may be specifiedin the 2. this Act, unless the context otherwiserequires-"aircraft"includesanyk indofvehiclewhichmaybeusedfortheconveyan ceofpassengerorgoodsbyair;[Ins. Act. A953 ]"beneficialuse"meansauseoftheenvironmen toranyelementorsegmentoftheenvironmentth atisconducivetopublichealth,welfareorsaf etyandwhichrequiresprotectionfromtheeffe ctsofwastes,discharges,emissions anddeposits;"Committee"means the EnvironmentalFundCommittee established under section 36C;[Ins.]

4 Act A953 ]"computer"meansanydevice,identifiedbywh atevernameordescription,forrecording,sto ring,processing,retrievingorproducingany informationormatter,orforperforminganyon eormoreofthosefunctions;and,wheretwoormo recomputerscarryoutanyoneormoreofthosefu nctionsincombination,conjointly, or in succession,they shall betreatedas a single computer;"control equipment" includes-(a)any apparatus forcollecting wastes;[Ins. Act A953 ](b)any automatic device used for securing the moreefficient operation of anyequipment;(c) any device to indicateor record pollution orto give warning ofexcessivepollution; and(d)any otherdeviceor facilityused for the purpose of limiting pollution;"Council" means the EnvironmentalQualityCouncil establishedundersection4;[Am. Act A953 ]"DirectorGeneral" meansthe DirectorGeneral ofEnvironmental Quality referred to in section3;"document"meansanymatterexpress ed,described,orrepresentedinwhatevermann er,uponanysubstance,material,thingorarti cle,includinganymatterembodiedinadisc,ta pe,film,soundtrackordevice, by means of-(a)anyletter,figure,mark,symbol,signa l,signoranyotherformofexpression,descrip tionorrepresentation;(b) a visual recording(whether of any still or movingimage);(c)asoundrecording,oranyele ctronic,magnetic,mechanicalorotherrecord ing,orbyanysound, electronic impulse or other data;or(d)arecording,ortransmission,over adistanceofanymatterbyany,oranycombinati on,ofthemeans mentioned inparagraph(a), (b)or(c), or in this paragraph;[Ins.

5 Act A953 ]"element"inrelationtotheenvironmentmean sanyoftheprincipalconstituentpartsofthee nvironmentincluding water, atmosphere, soil, vegetation, climate,sound, odour, aesthetics, fish andwildlife;"environment"meansthephysica lfactorsofthesurroundingsofthehumanbeing sincludingland,water,atmosphere, climate, sound,odour,taste,thebiologicalfactorsof animalsand plants andthesocialfactorof aesthetics;" environmental audit" means a periodic,systematic, documentedand objective evaluation todetermine-(a) thecompliance status to environmental regulatory requirements;(b) theenvironmental management system; and(c) the overallenvironmental risk of the premises;"environmentalmanagementsystem" meansasystemcomprisingofanorganizational structurewithitsresponsibilities,practic es,procedures,processesandresourcesforim plementingandmaintainingthesystem relating to the management of the environment;"environmentalrisk"meansanyr isk,hazardorchancesofbadconsequencesthat maybebroughtuponthe environment;"environmentallyhazardoussub stances"meansanynaturalorartificialsubst ancesincludinganyrawmaterial,whetherinas olid,semi-solidorliquidform,orintheformo fgasorvapour,orinamixtureofatleasttwooft hesesubstances,oranylivingorganismintend edforanyenvironmentalprotection,conserva tionand controlactivity, which cancausepollution;"Fund" means the environmental Fund establishedundersection36B;"goods" includesenvironmentally hazardous substances, pollutants andwastes;[Ins.

6 ActA953 ]"industrialplant"meansanyplantusedforth egenerationofpowerorforanyindustrialuseo rfortheoperation of ships, dredges, locomotives,cranesor other machines;"inlandwaters"meansanyreservoir ,pond,lake,river,stream,canal,drain,spri ngorwell,oranypartoftheseaabovethelowwat erlinealongthecoast,oranyotherbodyofnatu ralorartificialsurfaceorsubsurface water;[Ins. Act A953 ]"localauthority"includesanypersonorbody ofpersonsappointedunderanywrittenlawtoex erciseandperform thepowersand duties whichareconferredorimposed on alocal authorityunder anywritten law;[Ins. Act A1102 ]"Malaysianwaters"meanstheterritorialwat ersofMalaysiaasdeterminedinaccordancewit htheEmergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance, No. 7 1969 [ (A)307A/69];[Ins. Act 636 ]"Minister" means the Minister charged withthe responsibility for environment protection;"mixturecontainingoil"meansam ixturewithsuchoilcontentasmaybespecified bytheMinisteror,ifsuchoilcontentisnotspe cified,amixturewithanoilcontentofonehund redpartsormoreinonemillionparts of themixture;"monitoringprogramme"meansall actionstakenandequipmentusedforthepurpos eofdetectingormeasuringquantitativelyorq ualitativelythepresence,amountorlevelofa nysubstance,characteristicoreffect;"occu pier"means a person in occupation or control of-(a)any premises; or(b)inrelationtopremiseswheredifferentp artsofwhichareoccupiedbydifferentpersons ,therespective persons inoccupation orcontrol of each part; or(c) any vehicle, ship or aircraft;"oil" means-(a)crude oil, diesel oil, fuel oil and lubricating oil.

7 And(b)any otherdescription ofoil which may be prescribed by the Minister;"owner" in relation to-(a)any premises, means-(i) the registeredproprietorof the premises;[Subs. Act A953 ](ii)thelesseeofaleaseincludingasub-leas eofthepremises,whetherregisteredorotherw ise;(iii)theagentortrusteeofanyoftheowne rsdescribedinsubparagraphs(i)and(ii)ofth isdefinitionorwheretheownerasdescribedin subparagraphs(i)and(ii)cannotbetraced orhasdied, his legal personalrepresentative; or(iv)thepersonforthetimebeingreceivingt herentofthepremiseswhetheronhisownaccoun torasagentortrusteeforanyotherpersonoras receiverorwhowouldreceiveifthe premiseswere let to a tenant;(b)anyship,means-(i) the personregistered as the owner of the ship;(ii) in the absence of registration, the person owningthe ship;(iii)inthecaseofashipownedbyanycoun tryandoperatedbyacompanywhichinthatcount ry is registered as theship's operator, "owner" shall include the country.

8 Or(iv)theagentortrusteeofanyoftheownersd escribedinsubparagraphs(i),(ii)and(iii), orwheretheownerasdescribedinsubparagraph s(i)and(ii)cannotbetracedorhasdied, his legalpersonalrepresentative;(c) any vehicle or aircraft, means the person registered as the owner of the vehicle or aircraft;[Subs. Act A953 ]"pollutants"meansanynaturalorartificial substances,whetherinasolid,semi-solidorl iquidform,orintheformofgasorvapour,orina mixtureofatleasttwoofthesesubstances,ora nyobjectionableodourornoiseorheatemitted ,dischargedordepositedorislikelytobeemit ted,dischargedordepositedfromanysourcewh ichcandirectlyorindirectlycausepollution andincludesanyenvironmentallyhazardoussu bstances;[Subs. Act A953 ]"pollution"meansanydirectorindirectalte rationofthephysical,thermal,chemical,orb iologicalpropertiesofanypartoftheenviron mentbydischarging,emitting,ordepositinge nvironmentallyhazardoussubstances,pollut antsorwastessoastoaffectanybeneficialuse adversely,tocauseaconditionwhichishazard ousorpotentiallyhazardoustopublichealth, safety,orwelfare,ortoanimals,birds,wildl ife,fishoraquaticlife,ortoplantsortocaus eacontraventionofanycondition,limitation orrestriction to which a licence under this Act is subject;[Am.]

9 Act A953 ]"practicable"meansreasonablypracticable havingregard,amongotherthings,tolocalcon ditionsandcircumstancesandtothecurrentst ateoftechnicalknowledgeandtheterm"practi cablemeans"includestheprovisionandtheeff icientmaintenanceofplantandtheproperuset hereofandthesupervisionbyoron behalf of the occupierofany process or operation;"premises"includesmessages,bui ldings,lands,andhereditamentsofeverytenu reandanymachineryorplant;[Subs. Act A953 ]"prescribed" means prescribed by or under thisAct or continued inoperation by this Act;"prescribedconveyance"meansavehicleo rshipprescribedbytheMinisterundersection 18asaprescribed conveyance;[Ins. Act A953 ]"prescribedpremises" means any premises prescribed by the Minister under section 18;"prescribedproduct" means any product prescribedbythe Minister underparagraph 30A(1)(b);[Ins. Act A953 ]"scheduled wastes" means any wasteprescribed by theMinister inthe regulationsas scheduled wastes;[Ins.

10 Act A953 ]"segment"inrelationtotheenvironmentmean sanyportionorportionsoftheenvironmentexp ressedinterms of volume, space, area, quantity, quality, or time or any combinationthereof;"ship" includes every description of vessel or craft or floating structure;"soil" includes earth,sand,rock, shales,minerals andvegetation inthe soil;"trade"meansanytrade,businessorunde rtakingwhetherordinarilycarriedonatfixed premisesoratvaryingplaceswhichresultsint hedischargeofwastesandincludesanyactivit yprescribedtobeatrade,businessorundertak ing for the purposes of this Act;"transit"meansthecontinuouspassagefr omonebordertoanotherborderthroughMalaysi anterritoryand waters without storage;[Ins. Act A953 ]"vehicle"meansastructurecapableofmoving orbeingmovedorusedfortheconveyanceofanyp ersonor thing and which maintains contact with the groundwhen in motion;[Ins. Act 636 ]"waste"includesanymatterprescribedtobes cheduledwaste,oranymatterwhetherinasolid ,semi-solidorliquidform,orintheformofgas orvapourwhichisemitted,dischargedordepos itedintheenvironmentinsuch volume, composition or manneras to causepollution.