Impact of Malaysian Land Laws on its Green Economy Ambitions

This report examines the impact of Malaysian land laws on its green-economy ambitions. The report addresses three themes: land categorisation, the federal-state relationship in terms of land administration, and fiscal allocation for the green economy. For each theme, the report presents recommendations for achieving Malaysia’s green-economy ambitions. These recommendations include encouraging the federal and state governments to adopt explicit land-cover and land-zoning targets, as well as highlighting that the government should adopt the recommendations of the National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Malaysia’s green-economy ambitions, that the report is examining, include: i. Ensuring net zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050 ii. Protecting 20% of land area by 2025 iii. Maintaining 50% forest cover in perpetuity iv. Stopping all forest conversion for palm oil v. Recognising indigenous land rights. Even though the research as part of the report finds that Malaysia has developed policies, plans, and procedures that support most of these pledges, the implementation of the net-zero and forest-cover pledges show negative trends in practice. Malaysia’s greenhouse-gas emissions are also increasing and forest cover in the country is declining.