YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Salleh bin Haji Mohd Nor has spent the better part of his life protecting Malaysia's natural capital. With a long illustrious career to his name – including as the first director-general of the Forest Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), and the president of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) for 30 years – he is an outspoken and highly respected conservationist, unafraid to challenge projects detrimental to the environment. He was instrumental in achieving the gazettement of Endau Rompin and Belum as National and State parks respectively, and also in getting the Kota Damansara Forest protected from development. Ahead of Merdeka, we speak to this national treasure about his ongoing work in protecting what's left of our natural environment, and how we can strike a balance between economic and environmental sustainability.

Image credit: Wikipedia

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