Category Archives: Remarks

Opinions by experts and practitioners in environmental matters.

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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Remarks

Centring Indigenous Wisdom in Malaysia’s Climate Leadership

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The focus on ‘new green growth’ means Malaysia is missing the opportunity to draw on the ancient ecological knowledge of indigenous communities, writes human rights lawyer Loh Jing Rou.

FOR INDIGENOUS communities, the forests whisper stories older than the cities that now rise around them—stories of survival, stewardship, and sacred knowledge. In the rustling of leaves, the ebb and flow of rivers, and the dance of fireflies once guiding the harvest, a wisdom endures.

Yet, as Malaysia steps into the global climate arena—boasting green technologies and policy reforms—an ancient wisdom remains at the margins: Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

[Feature image: The Semai hill paddy planting season sees dibbling (making small holes in the ground for seeds) occur in August—September | Photo by Fikri Husin (Gerimis Art Project)]

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Remarks

Slow Adoption of Biotech Crops Could Cost Malaysia

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With droughts and heavy rainfall disrupting agriculture, Malaysia’s slow uptake of biotech crops as a solution is worrying, writes science communicator Saarani Vengadesen.

AS ONE OF Southeast Asia’s agricultural powerhouses, Malaysia faces a growing challenge: how to sustain its agricultural output while protecting the environment.

With climate change affecting rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, and increasing pest resistance, traditional farming practices are struggling to meet the demands of both farmers and the planet.

(Feature image: Food security needs to be bolstered with all the means available | Photo by Lee Kwai Han)

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Remarks

A Roadmap for Disaster Resilience in Malaysia

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From infrastructure to community involvement and good governance, resilience in the face of disasters must be built, writes disaster management professional Dr Sheikh Kamran Abid.

THIS November-to-December monsoon has been vicious, racking up the largest victim displacement – at least 120,000 – since the large big flood of 2014.

But Malaysia is no stranger to natural disasters. The country faces various environmental risks, from devastating floods to landslides and droughts. In recent years, the impacts of climate change have intensified these natural hazards, making it more urgent than ever to build disaster resilience.

(Feature image: As landslides and other natural disasters increase due to the climate crisis, resilience at every level needs to be built. | Screenshot from JKR Daerah Kinta Facebook )

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Remarks

Co-existing with the Wild in the Valley

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The Klang Valley’s rapid development threatens not only our local biodiversity but also the delicate balance required for harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife, writes wildlife conservation advocate Ashwiini Paranjothi.

WILDLIFE IS NOT limited to distant forests; it is present in our cities, adapting to urban life as green spaces shrink. Urban forests like Bukit Kiara and Bukit Gasing in the Klang Valley are home to a variety of species that now share their habitat with humans. The increased proximity has led to more frequent interactions and, unfortunately, more conflicts.

(Feature pic: When monkeys create chaos in neighbourhoods, human patience can run thin. | photo by Animal Neighbours Project)

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Remarks

Nurturing a Nature Revival

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Nature is trendy again. Conservationist Surin Suksuwan takes a look at the journey of colonial-era ‘Nature Study’ to the present.

NOW, PERHAPS more than ever before, Nature is becoming a concern for all rather than just to a fringe group who are labelled as tree huggers.

Unfortunately, it has taken the combined crises of climate change and biodiversity loss for people to realise that the Earth is in trouble and we cannot go on with business as usual.

(Feature pic: Nature Study was once taught to primary and secondary schoolchildren. | All photos by Surin Suksuwan)

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Remarks

Green Pest Control Key to Sustainable Paddy Farming

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Alternative pest control methods ensure the sustainability and yields of paddy farming in Tanjung Karang, finds student Chloe Holley.

PEST CONTROL is a critical part of agriculture because it can impact yield tremendously. But conventional insecticides can devastate the environment. In Tanjung Karang, Selangor, rice planters have turned to biological methods to control pests, a model for farmers everywhere.

(Feature pic: Rice farmers in Selangor are using environment-friendly means to counter pests | Photo by Maureen Beresford)

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Remarks

Nibbling Away at Kota Damansara Forest

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Inadequate protection of precious urban forests is shrinking them, warns community researcher and organiser Peter Leong.

TAPAN KUMAR Nath’s recent article in Macaranga, Support community efforts to better manage urban green spaces, shines an important light on the urgent need for community based organisations to gain a role in the governance of urban green spaces (UGS).

A 2019 study which found that KL “lost about 88% of its UGS between 2007 and 2017″ is most alarming – it highlights that the door of meaningful opportunity for these organisations’ impact in UGS governance is closing.

(Feature pic: In the densely built-up Klang Valley, remaining forest patches are precious to local communities | Photo by Dorothy Woon)

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Remarks

Support Community Efforts to Better Manage Urban Green Spaces

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Urban communities appreciate green spaces and should be allowed to co-manage these areas for better results, writes interdisciplinary researcher Tapan Kumar Nath.

IN 2022, the Prime Minister of Malaysia outlined directions towards developing and improving the country’s urban green infrastructure, which would turn into therapy spaces in an effort to relieve the stresses of life that directly improve mental and physical well-being of urban people.

To achieve this vision, I urge the authorities to engage community associations actively in the governance structure of urban green spaces (UGS).

(Feature pic: Precious forests stretch across the dense urban clusters of Kota Damansara and Mont Kiara. | Pic from Google Earth Pro, 2023)

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Remarks

Please Stop Loving Our Corals to Death

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The new airport for Tioman has been averted. Now, tourism needs a good relook, writes Reefcheck Malaysia’s Julian Hyde.

AS SCIENTISTS grow increasingly concerned about biodiversity loss and the accompanying loss of critical ecosystem services, the time has come to revisit tourism policy – and practice – in Malaysia.

This is particularly relevant following the recent decision by the government to abandon plans for a new airport on Tioman. The plan projected a four-fold increase in visitor numbers – from 250,00 per year to a million.

(Feature pic: Seeing fish or people? Tourists galore at a snorkelling site in Tioman |  Pic by Alvin Chelliah/Reefcheck Malaysia)

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