Marine Spatial Planning: What Does It Have to Offer Malaysia?

Marine spatial planning (MSP) has been gaining traction in environmental policy debates and in emerging state practice as an effective tool for adaptive and multi-scale management, providing mechanisms for the resolution of jurisdictional conflicts between actors in the marine environment. This article reviews its essential characteristics and then assesses its acceptance within the international community, particularly in the European Union and the developed world, as a major tool for environmental protection. Then, taking Malaysia as a case-study, the article considers the advantages of developing MSP to resolve multi-sectoral and inter-jurisdictional conflicts amongst the States of the Federation and multiple actors to achieve its economic and environmental objectives.