All posts by Macaranga

Training

Macaranga Mentorship on Just Energy Transition

28 May 2026: THE US-Israeli war on Iran has increased Malaysia’s energy vulnerabilities, as with the rest of the world. This increases the so-called Energy Trilemma challenges that Malaysia faces as it transitions away from fossil fuels to renewables: enery security, equitable access to energy, and environmental sustainability.

Ensuring security and access (particularly affordability) is now urgent as spiked and spiking oil and gas prices hit citizens and economic sectors. They require responsiveness and action by the government and agencies as well as businesses and the public.

The two areas also impact each other: citizens see and feel affordability issues. But behind the scenes, ensuring security also impacts affordability, particularly since Malaysia is heavily dependent on imports whether for ‘old energy’ (eg. coal) or renewables (eg. China-sourced solar panels).

The Macaranga Mentorship on Just Energy Transition 2026 seeks to highlight these 2 areas of affordability and security in local media through the mentorship and production of 4 stories. Two will focus on affordability impacts on the public, and two will investigate cross-border issues of security. The project will have a strongly visual approach, whether photos or video.

The project seeks also to build capacity among journalists in:

  • Reporting on just energy transition
  • Local and cross-border reporting, and
  • Using visuals to bring home the story

Check back here for updates and look out for their stories in the coming months!

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Remarks

Why Climate-Friendly Loans Need Legal Backing

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Contracts are not mere commercial transactions but are governance tools that safeguard environmental integrity and protect institutions from compliance risk, writes advocate & solicitor and ESG legal practitioner, Tan Poh Yee.

BANK LOAN decisions are not just financial transactions: they carry environmental consequences, influencing whether projects align with sustainability goals. Malaysia’s Paris Agreement 2015 pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions is supported by domestic laws and regulations that ensure financing decisions contribute to those goals.

(Feature pic: CCPT principles and categories help banks ensure loans meet climate goals for projects across sectors from agriculture to steel.  | Image by YH Law)

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Remarks

When “Getting Close to Nature” Is a Business

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Glamping has come to a Port Dickson forest, giving Brian Khow, a nature-lover concerned with environmental justice, pause to reflect on such enterprises.

I WAS SHOCKED by the recent development in a forest reserve located along the border of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, and Melaka. A private recreation facility has in the last few months emerged next to a beach in that forest.

Made up of luxury tents, campsites, and a café, this glamping operation now occupies a section of the beach, with fenced boundaries and facilities reserved for paying patrons.

(Feature pic: What does comfort in tents mean for our relationship with nature? | image by Sharon Chin)

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Remarks

To Rehabilitate Rivers, Community Action Matters More than Money

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Money actually does not solve problems in river rehabilitation. Instead, continuity, consistency and persistence matter, writes ecosystem restoration activist Kennedy Michael.

RIVER degradation is a persistent challenge in rapidly urbanising Malaysia. Governance fragmentation, public disengagement, and infrastructural bias keep undermining ecosystem health. But long-term, community-driven, volunteer-led river ecosystem restoration and sustainability education provide a solution.

For over 390 consecutive weeks since 2018, the Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur, communities have looked after the 5km stretch of Klang River in their area.

(Feature pic:  Community power matters more than money in river rehabilitation | ART!)

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Remarks

Only RM13 per Kilogram? Far From the Real Cost of Killing Marlins

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Making catch and release mandatory in fishing competitions is long overdue as iconic apex fish keep getting targeted, writes marine biologist Dr Nicolas Pilcher.

LAST YEAR, a 230kg Black Marlin—majestic, rare, and irreplaceable—was landed and sold for RM3,000 during the 2025 Labuan International Sea Challenge, according to the Daily Express. That’s just RM13 per kilogram. Less than the price of squid. 

For marine conservationists, this wasn’t a win—it was a black day for Malaysia’s efforts to protect the oceans.

(Feature pic:  Saltwater big game fishing is coming under scrutiny for unsustainable practices | Canva)

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Training

Macaranga Mentorship on Climate Disinformation and Indigenous People

Macaranga Workshop on Constructive Journalism, Climate Disinformation and Indigenous People 2026 (Lee Kwai Han/Macaranga)

Project journalists start to investigate climate disinformation

28 April 2026 (updated 6 July 2026): Journalists from 4 different newsrooms have embarked on investigating issues related to climate disinformation and indigenous people in Malaysia.

Following Macaranga‘s March workshop on these issues, 3 selected participants have begun working on their respective stories in Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Langat and Semporna.

They will be mentored by Macaranga.

At the same time, 4 journalists have started looking at climate disinformation in blue carbon which will be published in an upcoming series in Macaranga.

This mentorship aims to increase coverage on and capacity in reporting on climate disinformation and indigenous people in Malaysia. The goal is to boost access to relevant and reliable public interest information and inform constructive public debate around climate change and Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to climate action in Malaysia. 

Eighteen enthusiastic participants soak in constructive journalism on climate and communities

27 April 2026:  Macaranga‘s workshop on constructive journalism, climate disinformation and indignous people drew a mix of journalists and communicators/activists.

Their expertise ranged from text to broadcast, freelancing to newsroom, community organising to indigenous rights. About half were indigenous.

What they worked on:

  • Identify “red flags” in the narratives and framing of climate issues, specifically impacting Orang Asal communities.
  • Understand how to apply FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent) standards to protect community integrity and build trust in their reporting.
  • Apply the three pillars of Constructive Journalism to move past “feel-good” stories and highlight credible, scalable responses that honour Indigenous agency.
  • Develop pitches for one of 3 story grants and a 3-month long mentorship by Macaranga.

Best of all, everyone shared ideas and experiences and came up with great ideas together!

With thanks to Rimba Ilmu, Universiti Malaya.

This workshop is part of the Macaranga Mentorship on Climate Disinformation and Indigenous People.

Call for Applications ~ For Journalists: Reporting on the Environment

Workshop climate disinformation announcement

[UPDATE : 13.2.26 APPLICATIONS CLOSED] Tired of fighting fake climate news? Or writing bad news? Let’s do something about it. Macaranga invites journalists to join a 3-day workshop on Constructive Journalism,  Climate Disinformation and Indigenous People from 3-5 March 2026. Apply here by 13 February 2026.

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Remarks

Islanders Squeezed Out by Mainland Boatmen

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Redang Island is groaning under the weight of day-trippers and both nature and locals are suffering, warns marine advocate Julian Hyde.

IN JUNE, Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) was one of several organisations that raised concerns about a video taken of Teluk Dalam, Redang Island, with so many boats lined up along the beach that it was scarcely possible to move between them.

The community marine conservation group that we support on Redang (Redang Marine Conservation Group (RMCG) led local efforts to raise awareness of this growing problem.

(Feature pic: Some days, the Teluk Dalam beach is neck-deep in day-tripping boats, 90% of which are from the main land | Photo by imanredang)

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Announcement

Change is coming to Macaranga

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After 6 years, we are reviewing what we’ve done and reflecting on how better Macaranga can serve you, our readers. Check out this video where co-founders Siew Lyn and Yao Hua look back at what we have achieved and how thankful we are for the support you have given us.

We will still be active on our socials, so look out for our call to give your feedback. If you can spare some time, please sign up for our focused group discussions which will be held over the next few months.

You can always email us too. And of course read (or re-read) all our stories here!

[Feature image: Sunda Shelves]

Insight

Can Malaysia’s AI data centres go green?

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A wave of AI server farms is turning Malaysia into Southeast Asia’s digital epicentre, but their high energy use could derail the country’s climate goals, writes Genevieve Mallet, Dialogue Earth.

DATA CENTRES are springing up across Southeast Asia as China and the US vie for Artifical Intelligence (AI) supremacy. Tech giants – from ByteDance and Alibaba to Google and Microsoft – are setting their sights on Johor, Malaysia’s manufacturing hub just across the strait from Singapore. A rich agricultural state, Johor is now also home to sprawling data centre parks.

Since 2023, Malaysia has announced RM99 billion in data centre investments, much of it involving AI facilities, with a further RM149 billion in the near future. With cheap electricity, labour and ample land, Malaysia has proven to be a compelling alternative to its land-constrained neighbour and is set to become the fastest-growing data-centre hotspot in Southeast Asia.

(Feature image: Workers at a data centre under construction in Sedenak Tech Park in Johor |  Image © Vincent Thian / Associated Press / Alamy)

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Remarks

Securing Malaysian Skies Against Wildlife Traffickers

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The alarming rise in wildlife smuggled through Kuala Lumpur airports to India calls for more surveillance and joint investigations, writes wildlife trade expert Kanitha Krishnasamy.

IN MARCH, 4 gibbons found nowhere else in the world except Borneo were discovered in the luggage of passengers who flew into Chennai from Kuala Lumpur. For 2 of these Endangered Eastern Grey Gibbons, the rescue came too late – they had died by the time they were found.

This kind of smuggling from both terminals of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to various locations in India has been persistent, frequent, sometimes in large quantities and involving a wide variety of species.

(Feature image: From monkeys to tortoises, smugglers are using Malaysian and Indian airports to smuggle wildlife  | Composite image of posts in TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Facebook)

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