The world has relied on fossil fuel energy for a long time, producing many adverse effects. Long-term fossil fuel dependency has increased carbon emissions and accelerated climate change. In addition, fossil fuels are also depleting and will soon be very costly. Moreover, the expensive national electricity grid has yet to reach rural areas and will be cut off in inundation areas. As such, alternative and carbon-free hydrogen fuel cell energy is highly recommended as it solves these problems. The reviews find that (i) compared to renewable energy such as solar, biomass, and hydropower, a fuel cell does not require expensive transmission through an energy grid and is carbon-free, and hence, it is a faster agent to decelerate climate change; (ii) fuel cell technologies have reached an optimum level due to the high-efficiency production of energy, and they are environmentally friendly; (iii) the absence of a policy on hydrogen fuel cells will hinder investment from private companies as they are not adequately regulated. It is thus recommended that countries embarking on hydrogen fuel cell development have a specific policy in place to allow the government to fund and regulate hydrogen fuel cells in the energy generation mix. This is essential as it provides the basis for alternative energy governance, development, and management of a country.

As a party to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Malaysia is committed to reduce its greenhouse gases (GHG) emission intensity of gross domestic product (GDP) by 45% by 2030 relative to the emission intensity of GDP in 2005. One of the ways for Malaysia to reduce its GHG emission is to diversify its energy mix and to include hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) in its energy mix. Since Malaysia does not have any legal framework for HFCs, it is best to see how other countries are doing and how can it be replicated in Malaysia. This paper reviews the HFC legal framework in the United States, Germany and South Korea as these countries are among those that have advanced themselves in this technology. The researchers conducted a library-based research and obtained the related materials from online databases and public domain. Based on the reviews, the researchers find that these countries have a proper legal framework in place for HFC. With these legal frameworks, funds will be available to support research and development, as well as demonstration of HFC. Thus, it is recommended that Malaysia to have a proper HFC legal framework in place in order to support the development of the HFC industry.

End-of-life vehicle (ELV) management is becoming increasingly important as the automotive industry is one of the world’s most critical sectors and is rapidly expanding. ELV management is essential for environmental protection and wellbeing under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, provides more jobs under SDG 8, and promotes a circular economy under SDG 11. All these factors contribute to the importance of ELV management as a research topic. Today, ELV management is well-positioned and an emerging research area particularly on ELV recycling systems in Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. This paper aims to provide a review of ELV management in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, which are the major automotive production bases in Southeast Asia, but which lack formal ELV recycling policies. Towards this end, the researchers have adopted a qualitative study in which document research has been used to analyze existing scientific studies and other published sources. The findings reveal that immature ELV management systems in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia are the reason that no specific ELV laws and regulations exist, as well as why there are no precise ELV statistics. Nevertheless, there have been growing concerns about ELV management, as evidenced by environmental regulations and programs aimed at better management of ELV recycling in these countries. These findings will assist the respective authorities in formulating specific laws and regulations that will ensure sustainable management of ELV and will also ensure a better life and economy for society and for industry.

The growing global demand for new cars has resulted in a rise in end-of-life vehicles (ELV), both with usable and non-usable parts. Malaysia faces a particularly pressing issue of abandoned vehicles (AVs), as the country currently lacks comprehensive legislation for managing ELV. On the other hand, countries such as the US, Japan, Belgium, Korea, and China have well-established ELV management policies. In light of this, a pilot study assessed the public’s perception and attitudes towards ELV issues and regulations in Malaysia. The study gathered participants’ views on surrender, deregistration, disposal costs, incentives, recycling, and ELV regulations. The questionnaire used in the study was based on the findings from a previous report. The data were analysed using SPSS version 27, based on 40 interviews with diverse participants. The results of the study revealed three primary themes: “AV and its ELV”, “ELV disposal procedures”, and “ELV regulation and conflict resolution”, with 14 sub-themes. The study adopts a regulatory approach towards ELV and AVs and highlights the importance of an effective voluntary surrender system in Malaysia as a step towards comprehensive ELV regulation. The findings of this pilot study provide valuable insights into the Malaysian public’s views on ELV and can inform the development of more effective and comprehensive ELV legislation.

Climate change will cause ecosystem changes that will affect all aspects of human life on earth. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its fifth assessment report (AR5), stated that climate change is also having an impact on the marine environment. Indonesia as an archipelagic country will of course also feel the domino effect of climate change. Therefore, climate change is very urgent to be discussed in Indonesia. This article will examine and formulate derivative regulations which are implementation instruments to provide legal protection for the environment and coastal residents when facing the impacts of climate change. This paper applies normative research methods as well as a contextual approach, historical approach, legal approach, comparative approach and case approach which will then be analyzed qualitatively. Specifically, this article will analyze the Buton Regency, especially the North Buton Regency government's efforts to overcome climate change which is realized by the existence of regional regulations that specifically regulate Climate Change Adaptation [API] as well as integrating regional regulations with API elements, especially in the sectors of spatial design, development planning and disaster management. So, it can be a reference for a regions that have coastal areas to achieve the target of Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] point 13.

Federalism refers to an agreement between several states which agree to be united as a nation state but with shared administrative responsibility. Under the dual federalism theory, the federal and the state governments are co-equals with specific powers granted by the constitution. In contrast, cooperative federalism denotes that although the federal government is supreme over the states, both acts cooperatively to solve common problem. Malaysia practices dual federalism as legislative powers of the federal and state governments are separated in the Federal Constitution. Rather than fostering cooperation, dual federalism in Malaysia has created tension between different levels of governments in the water sector as highlighted in the Selangor water woes. This paper evaluates issues arising in the Malaysian water sector from the federalism perspectives. Towards this end, doctrinal analysis on relevant laws and commentaries are made to appreciate the meaning of federalism and different approaches towards federalism. The paper concludes that different approaches towards federal-state relation can assist in improving the water sector and solve water conflict between different levels of governments in Malaysia.