It demonstrated that despite the ramping up of rhetoric for sustainability, the environment is lagging behind as a development priority. This ranks environment around 12 in terms of priority, below education, health, transportation and housing. To elevate environment as a development priority, policies need to adopt approaches that establishes environmental interactions with other development goals. While the study was challenged by health authorities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, it is evident that a poorly-managed environment can affect our most fundamental basic needs: security and health. As a small and open economy, Malaysia needs to respond to these dynamics.

Source: New Strait Times October 13, 2019 16:40 UTC