Reclamation projects are going on left, right and center on the island of Penang. Literally so: on coasts and inland on hills. Environmentalists have been raising the alarm about such land reclamations, calling them a “time bomb.” Worse: the details of several such reclamations remain concealed from the public. But now a young activist…

A cable car system on Penang Hill? Thanks, but no thanks. That’s how conservationists and local civil society groups view a planned cable car system on the island’s scenic hill that the local government seems keen on constructing. “Any form of development, let alone a massive one, will have a serious impact…

Depending on your vantage point on the island, Penang may seem like a place still covered in plenty of lush green vegetation. But that view can be deceptive. Penang has been largely deforested over the years and decades with a mere 7.4% of it still boasting forests. Of those forests,…