SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: A COMPARISON OF THE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN MALAYSIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) has been implemented since the early 1990s, and it is a decision-making tool and methodology for determining the benefits or suffering that affect communities through the social outcomes data. This assessment is crucial in the planning phase as well as the development phase to monitor the impact of proposed development projects. Many countries, including Malaysia and New Zealand, have started implementing SIA within their legal framework to respond to the development cycle proactively. Thus, this paper seeks to compare and analyse the legal frameworks of SIA in Malaysia and New Zealand through qualitative methodologies: library research, content analysis, as well as comparative analysis. The findings show that both countries have legislation relating to SIA; however, the method of implementation is not the same, as SIA in New Zealand has emerged with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) while SIA in Malaysia is implemented on a stand-alone basis.