SERDANG, 2 July – A total of 20 students from the Bachelor of Environmental Science and Technology with Honours programme, Faculty of Forestry and Environment (FPAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), had the opportunity to witness a live pollution case proceeding to deepen their understanding of the judicial system for environmental cases through the Court Exploration Programme held recently at the Seremban Court Complex.

This field learning programme, organised through the ESC4803 Scientific Communication in the Environment course, was carried out with the cooperation of the Department of Environment Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (DOE FTKL), Mahkamah Sesyen Seremban dan Jabatan Alam Sekitar Negeri Sembilan.

The course lecturer, Associate Professor Dr. Ferdius @ Ferdaus Mohamat Yusuff, said that this learning approach has a significant impact on students as it allows them to connect theory with real-life situations in court.

“The experience of witnessing an actual case involving a breach of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 gives students a new perspective, compared to only studying the content theoretically. This is the value of high-impact learning that we strive for,” he said.

The programme coordinator, Dr. Zufarzaana Zulkeflee, who is also the course lecturer, said that it is important for students to understand not only technical aspects but also policy and legal dimensions that are closely related to the environment.

“We want to produce graduates who are not only technically skilled but also understand the legal and policy implications for the environment. This is the foundation for sustainable development,” she said.

The visit was also joined by two course lecturers and four accompanying lecturers.

Throughout the programme, students were given access to the Public Gallery of Sessions Court 3 to witness actual case mentions and court recordings involving environmental pollution, giving them an authentic and deeper experience of the country’s judicial process.

Meanwhile, through such initiatives, UPM aims to foster more collaboration between the judiciary, enforcement agencies and higher education institutions to produce graduates who are policy-aware, legally informed and committed to environmental sustainability.

Date of Input: 24/06/2025 | Updated: 04/07/2025 | muhammad.isam