Earth Matters

Malaysia’s first and longest-running environmental film festival, the Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival, returns for it's 11th installment this year. Under the theme, “Forests, Water and Climate Change”, the film selections will tackle these issues and the environmental heroes that are making a difference in these areas. We find out what’s in store from Yasmin Rasyid, the Founder and President of EcoKnights.

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Last month, Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad made a call to utilise coal in Sabah to address Malaysia’s energy needs, and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal followed up by saying that the state will carry out a feasibility study. This plan has caused outrage, especially among the environmental and civil society groups in Sabah, who have previously fought against coal mining and coal-fired power plants in Sabah, fearing irreparable ecological, social, health and climate damage. Joining us to elaborate on why we should all be powering past the use of coal and moving towards renewable energy are Sheelasheena Damian, a Policy Analyst for WWF-Malaysia, Dr. Murallitharan Munisamy, the Medical Director for the National Cancer Society Malaysia and Shaqib Shahril, a member of the Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD).

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Though her lands are fertile and rich in biodiversity, Ethiopia grapples with famine and poverty, and relies on food aid to feed its starving population. At the same time, sales of huge land areas by the Ethiopian government to foreign investors, has led not only to starvation, but also forced displacement among Ethiopians as well. In his documentary Dead Donkeys Fear no Hyenas, Swedish film director Joakim Demmer exposes the consequences of land grabbing, and how this chase for green gold has caused mass displacement and environmental hazards to the people of Ethiopia. Joakim joins us to discuss the situation in Ethiopia while drawing parallels to what's happening in Malaysia.

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A nationwide beach clean-up happened on the 22nd of September, in conjunction with the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day. This was part of Reef Check Malaysia's long battle against marine debris, which is also their focus for the International Year of the Reef (IYOR) 2018. We find out more about this clean-up from Julian Hyde, the general manager of Reef Check Malaysia.

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The Sungai Bunus Action Group was formed in 2015 under Local Agenda 21 of DBKL, to improve the river quality of Sungai Bunus, and to create more riverine green spaces for the public in the city. We find out more about the efforts that went into the rehabilitation and conservation of this 9km long river that meets Sungai Klang at Kampung Baru and discuss how better river governance and management can make Sungai Bunus into a public green and recreational space.

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June Rubis is a Political Ecologist and a doctoral candidate with the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, in the U.K., and a trained Biologist with 12 years experience in the field. Calling herself a "recovering conservationist" she is interested in the human face of conservation other than wildlife research, and is keen to bring in indigenous social science into conservation research and work, which is essentially emphasizing indigenous ways of understanding and knowing. She joins us to discuss her work and how she's trying to decolonise conservation.

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When asked why he ventured into botanical research, world-renowned architect and urban designer Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat simply responded that “I did not know enough. I had to repair my ignorance.” Responsible for designing several concert halls, notably Penang Komtar auditoria & Geodesic Dome (Dewan Tunku) and the Singapore Conference Hall, this polymath now spends much of his time researching botanical species at his own expense, and has since travelled across Malaysia and around the region for his botanical research. He owns a private research garden called ‘Suriana Botanic Conservation Gardens’ in Balik Pulau, Penang, and he also publishes the journal Folia Malaysiana. In conjunction with Merdeka, he joins us to discuss his decades of work in preserving and nurturing our local flora and why he believes the underrated field of botany is an important tool for nation building.

You can find the full interview by clicking on this link.

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Hornbills are called the farmers of the forest, thanks to their ability to commute over long distances and disperse seeds for plant reproduction. However, large forested areas are needed to sustain hornbill populations, and intense habitat destruction is causing their numbers to decline. Andrew Sebastian, the Co-Founder and CEO of the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY), joins us to provide a 101 on hornbills, and also to discuss ECOMY's signature event, the Royal Belum International Hornbill Expedition 2018, which gives people a chance to record all 10 species of hornbills found in Malaysia, which aims to help promote conservation through ecotourism.

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The Taman Tun residents’ battle to protect Taman Rimba Kiara from development is not yet over, even with a new government in place. We catch up with Leon Koay, the committee coordinator for the Save Taman Rimba Kiara Working Group and Khairudin Rahim, a spokesperson for the TTDI Residents Association, and find out how they have been working to find workable solutions for all the stakeholders involved in this saga, including the Bukit Kiara longhouse residents who were promised new apartments as part of the proposed project.

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The concept of “human-wildlife conflict” is becoming central to conservation work, but the mitigation of these conflicts are also said to be one of the greatest challenges for conservation of wildlife worldwide. In conjunction with World Elephant Day, which is celebrated annually on the 12th of August, we take a closer look at how human-elephant conflict plays a role in the decline of elephant numbers, and discuss ways that people and elephants can share space. Joining us to discuss this and more are Wong Ee Phin and Lim Teck Wyn, from the organisation Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME).

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