Mahkamah tolak permohonan semakan kehakiman RimbaWatch terhadap 2 kementerian

The High Court dismissed RimbaWatch's request to review the independence review of two ministers over their claim of fraudulent promotion of fossil fuel products, according to the ruling on May 15, 2021. The legal battle between RimbaWatch, an environmental monitoring body, and the Malaysian government centers around the claim that the two ministries, the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRES) and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDN), failed to properly scrutinize advertisements claiming the products were carbon neutral.

RimbaWatch's lawyer, Kumaresan Thurairaju, stated that the prosecutor, Azizan Md Arshad, rejected the application during the hearing. The court did not issue any orders regarding the costs. RimbaWatch plans to appeal the decision and send a letter to the court requesting an explanation for its judgment. Attorney General Shapiee and Intan Syafinaz Ros'lin represented the two ministers, while Abhilaash Subramaniam acted as a friend of the court for the Bar Council.

Last year, RimbaWatch filed complaints against the two ministries regarding a fossil fuel company's claim that its products are carbon neutral, which the company argued was neutral to the carbon cycle. RimbaWatch contended that the complaint was misleading and could undermine user protection and climate preservation. However, KPDN clarified to RimbaWatch that the complaint fell outside its jurisdiction and should be brought before NRES, which then asked RimbaWatch to file the complaint with KPDN.