Law Enforcement and Water Resources of the Malacca River A Case Study of Public Perception

Abstract

Malacca state is a historical tourism based economy, and has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. However, Malacca River pollution can be attributed to human activities such as agriculture, livestock, factories, commercial, and settlements. So, this research study has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of law enforcement of water resources in the Malacca River. The research involves a quantitative approach, which is a questionnaire divided into two parts. Part A is a demographic profile and part B concerns water pollution in the river and the effectiveness of law and regulation towards water resources in Malacca River. The sample size of 400 was decided with a sampling area of Alor Gajah and Melaka Tengah. Analyses involve chi-square (x 2 ) analysis and correlation analysis. A majority of respondents agree that the Malacca River is dirty due to industrial and excretory waste turning the water black, smelly, and contaminated. Polluted water cause disease and poisoning aquatic animals to death, and affect plant species through nutrients loss. At worst, polluted river leads to aquatic species becoming extinct and dirty the habitat of animals. Hence, the Water Act 1920, Environmental Quality Act 1974, Sewage and Industrial Effluent 1979, Sewage Service Act 1993, and River Act could stop pollution and protect the water resources of the Malacca River.