In order to lower the carbon emissions that lead to global warming, Malaysia is considering the deployment of market-based carbon pricing policies such as carbon trading and a carbon tax. This paper, which is based on a memorandum submitted to the Malaysian government, presents a critical assessment of these policies …
Insufficient regulation and fossil fuel subsidies are holding back Southeast Asia’s transition to a low carbon economy, according to a new report released by Eco-Business. Government, business and civil society leaders across the region said the absence of tougher regulations around environmental standards was the biggest obstacle to their country …
In an unprecedented move against plastic pollution in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has announced that it will eliminate single-use plastic by 2030. At a recent town hall meeting, newly appointed minister in charge of environment matters Yeo Been Yin revealed that the country will launch a road map towards zero-use plastics …
By 2012, when then-prime minister Najib Razak formally launched the River of Life project to improve water quality and restore the aesthetic virtue of the Klang River, France had already demolished obsolete dams in the magnificent headwaters of the Loire River. Oakland, California, was busy jackhammering the concrete culverts that …
By 2012, when then-prime minister Najib Razak formally launched the River of Life project to improve water quality and restore the aesthetic virtue of the Klang River, France had already demolished obsolete dams in the magnificent headwaters of the Loire River. Oakland, California, was busy jackhammering the concrete culverts that …
The Orang Asli communities in Malaysia have been practicing indigenous agroforestry for generations, but little is known about the specifics of their practices. This study examined the indigenous management and sustainability of agroforestry practices, constraints experienced and contribution to household income. Data were collected from two Orang Asli villages practicing …
High up in the treetops of Borneo live “exploding ants,” so named because of their unique defensive behavior. When a potential enemy threatens their colony, these ants kill themselves by rupturing their own abdomens to release a sticky, repellant liquid. Now, researchers have identified a new species of exploding ant …
The EU adopted this new fuel with rigour and pledged that by 2020, 10 per cent of all transport fuels in EU nations would be biodiesel. Barely a month ago the IMF released a glowing report on the state of Malaysian economy. According to them, “The Malaysian economy has shown …
New research has found that Bornean elephants most often use degraded forests with canopy heights topping out at around 13 meters (43 feet). Less than 25 percent of the state’s protected intact forests, which include primary forests, are suitable for elephants, the authors concluded. The team suggests that maintaining suitable …
Oil palm plantations in Malaysian Borneo host a lower number of frog species than forests in same area. However, the plantations exhibit an edge effect that extends as far as 4 kilometers, resulting in a decline in the diversity of frog species in adjacent forests. The researchers suggest that for …
Malaysia has extended a moratorium on bauxite mining, as it grapples with a stockpile that has yet to be cleared despite an official halt to mining activities more than two years ago. The moratorium was put in place in January 2016, after run-off from unsecured stockpiles of the mineral, dug …
Female orangutans are occasionally killed for their young, which are sold on as pets, while others are killed for food or for venturing onto plantations or into gardens. Hunting and killing have driven a dramatic decline in the orangutan population on Borneo where nearly 150,000 animals have been lost from …
This multibillion-pound industry increasingly involves organised crime groups, who see wildlife as a low-risk route to profit You might not have heard of a pangolin, but they are widely claimed to be the most illegally trafficked mammal in the world. With their armoured shells and long noses, pangolins are often …
This report provides concise exposition of the Malaysian urban wastewater management under the country’s existing primary federal environmental legislation. The report gathers essential information from different authorities that can be of use by policy-makers in the efforts of improving the existing situation of sewerage management problem in the country.
The 2015 smoke haze episode was one of the most severe and prolonged transboundary air pollution events ever seen in Southeast Asia (SEA), affecting the air quality of several countries within the region including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The 24 h mean outdoor PM2.5 (particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter …
Flash floods caused by hours of torrential rain killed at least five people in Malaysia and military forces deployed on Sunday to help rescue thousands of displaced people in the northern state of Penang. About 3,000 people had been evacuated and housed in temporary shelters as nearly 80 percent of …
A new scorecard rating companies headquartered in Singapore and Malaysia on their palm oil sustainability commitments has found that the majority do not disclose any information on their sourcing practices. The WWF Palm Oil Buyers’ Scorecard surveyed 47 companies, all household brands in Malaysia and Singapore, asking how far along …
JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Facing a backlash in Europe over palm oil’s environmental toll, the world’s top producers are scrambling to find new markets and even striking unusual barter deals, such as exchanging Sukhoi jets for the edible oil. The European Union is the second-largest palm oil export destination after …
The clouded leopard is the least well-known of the big cats. Both species (Neofelis nebulosa and Neofelis diarti) are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN across their ranges. Clouded leopard habitat falls within three of the world's top palm oil producing countries: Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. While many questions remain …
The study quantified mammal numbers in forests and landscapes with varying degrees of human impact in Malaysian Borneo. Across 57 mammal species recorded with live and camera traps, the average number of all animals combined was 28 percent higher in logged forests -- where hunting wasn’t an issue -- compared …
