One of the largest ecological experiments in recorded history is being conducted in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. It has to do with three hot-button issues – palm oil, deforestation, and biodiversity – and it hopes to find a way to point them all in the direction of sustainability. Launched in 2010,…
A dangerous and potentially deadly monkey-borne parasite has reared its head in Malaysia. Once rarely seen in humans, it is now responsible for more than two-thirds of hospitalized malaria patients in Malaysian Borneo. The cause? Deforestation in Malaysia. Plasmodium knowlesi is a Southeast Asian malaria parasite that, in a healthy…
Reflective panels that capture the sun’s light, a roof that gets watered, and a central tower shaded by swathes of creeping ivy characterize a recent extension to the JST Malaysia factory in Johor. The project aims to use the power of rainwater, sunlight, wind, geothermal heat and vegetation to minimize…
In a Malaysia swamped in traffic, tangled with highways and choking on exhaust fumes, one would think any alternative to driving would be embraced. Frustrating hours spent in gridlock, transportation infrastructure stretched well beyond its capacity and the world’s second-highest car prices call for something cheap, sustainable and that utilizes…
Tackling the serious issues of poor recycling rates and waste management in Malaysia, a large shopping center in the bustling city of Petaling Jaya has championed the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) with a recycling and used product buy-back program. Home to 180 ‘tenants’ (shops and vendors like Ace…
Spirits were lifted and hopes raised for sustainability last year when plans for Malaysia’s first geothermal power plant were publicized in Sabah, Eastern Malaysia. After the discovery of geothermal surface manifestations in a 50 square-kilometer area near the town of Tawau, it was determined that the area had the potential to…
As of September, Malaysians were officially required to recycle. Considering that Malaysia has a less than 10% recycling rate – approximately 90% of waste going into overflowing landfills that release greenhouse gases, leech contaminants into the soil and propagate dengue fever-carrying mosquitos and a terrible odor – this is welcome…
“Whether it is air pollution in China, haze in Singapore, or water scarcity in India, the evidence that environmental and social issues present growing risks to economic growth is mounting across Asia.” Thus begins the executive summary of a brand new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report singling out banks in…
Seven years ago, a little film festival focused on environmental movies kicked off in Kuala Lumpur. Now in its eighth successful year, the International Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) is the biggest and longest-running event of its kind in Malaysia. Conceived and organized by environmental NGO EcoKnights, the festival…
Residents of Bukit Goh, a city near Kuantan in Eastern Peninsular Malaysia, were given a jolt of excitement late last year when bauxite mining companies offered them between RM300,000 and RM800,000 (US$72,000 – $193,000) for every four hectares of their land that contained bauxite. After mulling it over, about 200…
Amsterdam has just given a final report on the horrific crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, the Boeing 777 passenger airplane that went down unexpectedly over the Ukraine on July 17 of last year. Exhaustive examination of the wreckage confirmed suspicions that the airplane was shot down by a missile…
A famous forest park in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands was recently forced to close because of an excessive accumulation of litter. Park tour guides were understandably upset about the closure of Mossy Forest park, their main source of income being that tourist attraction. This kind of littering is common in Malaysia,…
Known for its dense tropical forests, beautiful islands and staggering natural biodiversity, Malaysia has a reputation as an environmental treasure. You’ll find pictures of Malaysian jungle in nature magazines, backgrounding vacation advertisements and pasted onto any website trying for some reason to remind readers of just how breathtaking a place…
Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) recently approved a survey of the country’s tiger population. Six times more thorough than the last such estimate, this survey will reveal the Malayan tiger’s true chances of survival. Covering 20,000 square kilometers (20 plots of 1,000 sq km each), the proposed…
This article is an exclusive contribution from Eliani Ezani. Eliani holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health and is conducting research on airborne pollution for a PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. Originally from Malaysia, Eliani combines her personal experience with…
Asian Metal, a business that provides advice on pricing and trading activity to mining companies, recently visited a number of mines in Malaysia. Reports from the visits reveal a truly astounding export quantity of bauxite and suggest potential changes to bauxite mining in Malaysia that could make it even worse…