About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of a recent Court of Appeal judgment on coastal development and land reclamation in Malaysia.

Land reclamation is often promoted as a driver of economic growth, but it's also one of the most controversial forms of development, with lasting impacts on the environment, coastal communities, and traditional livelihoods. Now, a recent Court of Appeal judgment involving the Penang South Islands reclamation project has sparked a new debate, not just about the environmental impacts of reclamation, but about who has the legal authority to approve it in the first place. Although the appeal against the project was dismissed, the court's written judgment has prompted environmental groups to question whether the proper legal authority existed to approve reclamation over Malaysia's territorial sea and seabed. They argue the issues raised go far beyond Penang and could have implications for how future reclamation projects are governed across the country. Joining us to unpack what the ruling means, why civil society groups are still calling for answers, and what this could mean for the future of coastal development, is filmmaker and Programme Coordinator for Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim , or JEDI, Andrew Han. *Watch Andrew’s film “Doa Seorang Nelayan” here . Image Credit: Jaringan Ekologi…

People in this episode

Guest: Andrew Han

Topics covered

• coastal development
• land reclamation
• environmental impact
• legal authority
• civil society
• economic growth

Keywords

• coastal development
• land reclamation
• environmental impact
• legal authority
• Penang
• Malaysia
• civil society

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim

Books & works: Doa Seorang Nelayan

Places: Malaysia, Penang

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