What does it take to turn a tin mine into a rainforest, and then get the world to recognise it as a treasure worth protecting? That’s exactly what Malaysia has achieved with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, or FRIM, which was just named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Joining us today to tell us more about this incredible journey is Encik Mahmudin Saleh, FRIM’s Deputy Director General of Operations.

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Every month, we catch up with Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn, the co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga, to chat about the biggest environmental news making waves in Malaysia. July gave us everything from new rules on plastic waste, to a major wildlife crime bust, to the return of that all-too-familiar haze. Yao Hua and Siew Lyn join us to share the 411.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a show where we explore the stories behind books that bring us closer to nature and the world around us. Every month, we team up with the good folks at Sunda Shelves, an independent bookstore and café with a passion for wild places and thoughtful reads. This month, together with co-host Dylan Jefri Ong (co-founder, Sunda Shelves), we speak to Azamuddeen Nasir, a passionate nature communicator and PhD researcher at Monash University Malaysia. Known online as AnakUmiSukaHutan, Azam creates engaging Malay-language content about Malaysia’s forests, wildlife, and lesser-known ecosystems like peat swamps, bringing science and conservation to life for a wider audience through humour, storytelling, and lived experience. He joins us to share some of his favourite nature reads.

Books discussed during this episode:

1. Fishes of Tasik Bera Pahang - Amirrudin b. Ahmad, Muhammad Fahmi-Ahmad, Mohd Aqmal-Naser, Syed Ahmad Rizal Tuan Nek, Zahar Azuar Zakaria, Mohd Ilham Norhakim Lokman, Muhammad Rasul Abdullah Halim, Intan Faraha A. Ghani, Md. Zain Khaironizam & Mohammad Noor Amal Azmai

2. An Introduction to the Land Snails and Slugs of Malaysia – Thor-Seng Liew and Junn-Kitt Foon

3. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Thailand and South East Asia – Charles M. Francis

4. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South East Asia – Indraneil Das

5. Butterflies of Peninsular Malaysia – Rosli Omar, Azidah Abdul Aziz, and Sofwan Badrud’din

6. A Handbook on the Peat Swamp Flora of Peninsular Malaysia – I. Faridah-Hanum, Shamsul Khamis, and Khali Aziz Hamzah

7. A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore – Allen Jeyarajasingan

8. Ferns of Malaysia In Colour – A. G. Piggott

9. Handbook and National Red-List of the Freshwater Mussels of Malaysia – Alexandra Zieritz and Manuel Lopes-Lima

10. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – Merel J. Cox, Peter Paul Van Dijk, Jarujin Nabhitabatha, and Kumthorn Thirakh

11. Fishes of the Freshwater Ecosystems of Peninsular Malaysia – Mohd Zakaria-Ismail, A. Fatimah, and M. Z. Khaironizam

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The Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum has raised the alarm over proposed changes to two key agricultural laws: the Protection of New Plant Varieties Act and the Plant Seed Quality Bill. These two important laws affecting agriculture are set for debate in Parliament, but are the right people being heard? The Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum says no, pointing to a lack of engagement with farmers and civil society. We speak to FKMM Coordinator Nurfitri Amir Bin Muhammad about the implications of the proposed changes, and their call for greater transparency and consultation before any legislative changes move forward. Amir is also a paddy farmer himself, and the Secretary of Pertubuhan Persaudaraan Pesawah Malaysia (PeSAWAH).

Image Credit: Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum’s Facebook

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The world is trying to craft a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, but not everyone agrees on what that should look like. As INC-5.2 negotiations resume in Geneva this August to hammer out The Global Plastics Treaty, deep divides remain over issues like plastic production, financing, and equity. Who’s pulling the strings, what’s stalling progress, and why does it matter for all of us? We speak to Arpita Bhagat (Plastic Policy Officer, GAIA Asia Pacific) and Rayhan Dudayev (Senior Regional Campaign Strategist (Legal & Political), Greenpeace Southeast Asia) to dive into the politics, power plays, and potential of the global plastics treaty.

Image Credit: UNEP / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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Melaka’s coastline is facing a transformation of unprecedented scale. A massive land reclamation project spanning over 1,100 hectares is being proposed under the Straits of Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (SM-WEZ), touted to bring billions in investment and thousands of jobs. But the push for development is being met with growing resistance. Environmentalists, fisherfolk, and local communities warn of devastating ecological and economic consequences, from the loss of vital turtle nesting sites to the worsening of flood risks. We speak with Martin Theseira, the Chairman of Save Our Seashores Melaka, and Frits van Walsem, the Director of Sail and Science Sdn. Bhd. to understand what’s really at stake.

Image Credit: Frits van Walsem / mataburung.com

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A quiet but crucial battle is playing out over something we often overlook - seeds. Proposed changes to Malaysia’s Protection of New Plant Varieties Act could shift seed rights away from small farmers and into the hands of multinational companies. To help us understand what this means for farmers, food prices, and even our national seed sovereignty, we’re joined by Chee Yoke Ling, the Executive Director of the Third World Network.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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What do a mudflat at dawn, an endangered seahorse, and climate action have in common? More than you’d expect. We speak to Vincent Tan, who recently wrote about his journey to the Merambong seagrass meadow, and Wong Jieyi, a Project Manager from Save Our Seahorses, about how this tiny fish is anchoring big conversations around conservation, public participation, and sustainable development.

Image Credit: Vincent Tan / Macaranga

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Two weeks of climate negotiations in Bonn have just wrapped up, and the road to COP30 in Brazil this November is looking anything but smooth. From delays in climate pledges to ongoing finance disputes and rising geopolitical tensions, the Bonn talks revealed more gaps than gains. To unpack what this means for developing countries and the prospects of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, we speak with Meenakshi Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Head of Programmes at the Third World Network, who attended the talks.

Image Credit: UN Climate Change - Lara Murillo / Flickr

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There’s something magical about seeing fireflies, those tiny flashes of light that feel like nature’s own fairy lights. But behind that glow is a much bigger story about healthy ecosystems, disappearing habitats, and what we stand to lose. World Firefly Day is just around the corner, and this year's theme is: Help Us Keep The Sparkles Alive! With a special focus on fireflies found right here in the city in Bukit Kiara, we explore these bioluminescent beetles and what they can teach us with three guests who work across education, science, and conservation -  Dr Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh (Co-Chair, IUCN Species Survival Commission – Firefly Specialist Group), Dr Nadiah Ahmad (lecturer, School of Pathways and Immersion, Monash University Malaysia) and Tan Boon Hua (Vice President, Friends of Bukit Kiara).

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