ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT IN MALAYSIA: LOCAL GOVERNMENT APPROACHES TO CONCILIATION, CONFRONTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7si4.1660Keywords:
Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171), environmental enforcement, systematic literature review, conciliation approach, confrontation approach, sustainable environmental governanceAbstract
Environmental enforcement by Malaysian local authorities plays a vital role in achieving sustainable environmental governance under the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171). However, inconsistent enforcement practices, limited institutional capacity, inadequate financial resources, and personnel shortages continue to weaken regulatory effectiveness. This study systematically synthesises existing literature on environmental enforcement under Act 171 by examining confrontation and conciliation approaches alongside the Prevention Principle, Polluter Pays Principle, and Precautionary Principle. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant studies published between 1990 and 2024 were identified through Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Peer-reviewed articles, legal documents, government reports, and selected grey literature were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and analysed through qualitative thematic analysis. The findings indicate that although Act 171 provides a comprehensive legal framework, implementation is constrained by institutional weaknesses, inconsistent enforcement, and limited enforcement capacity. The review demonstrates that confrontation and conciliation strategies should be applied complementarily, while the Prevention, Polluter Pays, and Precautionary Principles collectively strengthen sustainable environmental governance. This review provides practical recommendations for improving environmental enforcement, institutional capacity, and policy implementation among Malaysian local authorities.
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