Macaranga
Thank You
Our awesome 2024 Macaranga Supporters who contributed to keep our stories free for all
Grants (2024-2025):
Youth Environment Living Labs (YELL) administered by Justice for Wildlife Malaysia (JWM)
Internews Earth Journalism Network
Klima Action Malaysia (KAMY)
TRAFFIC Southeast Asia
Macaranga Annual 2024
Published by Macaranga Media Sdn Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, 2025
Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Editorial: SL Wong Law Yao Hua
Design and layout: Sharon Yap
Macaranga Contents
Macaranga is an independent journalism portal covering the environment, climate and sustainability in Malaysia through in-depth features and knowledge building.
Run by specialist environmental and science journalists, our objective is to be relevant, insightful and accurate, and to fill a gap in producing local content for Malaysian and global readers.
We also train and mentor journalists in these areas, and provide a platform for voices and experts on the ground.
macaranga.org
editorial@macaranga.org
@Macaranga Media
@macarangamedia
@macaranga.org
@macarangatweets
linkt.ree/macaranga
004 Letter from the Editors
FEATURES
006 Perak Dams Threaten Stone Spirits and Ancestral Graves
008 Mass Producing to Save Pitcher Plants A Tricky Business
010 Conserving Arowanas Needs More Than Releasing Fish
012 Social Media Makes It So Easy To Like And Buy Exotic Pets
014 Floods, Rising Seas Make Dumps More Dangerous
016 Listen to the Birds to Save Mangroves
018 Fixing Forest Plantations
020 The Climate-friendly Virgin in Terengganu
022 Divers, Fishers and Scientists Map Sharks and Rays to Save Them
024 Fighting Floods with Better Drainage in Kuching
026 Banking on River Reserves to Protect Water Supply
028 Climate Change Bill is Basis for Systematic Disaster Management
REMARKS
029 Green Pest Control Key to Sustainable Paddy Farming
030 Support Community Efforts to Better Manage Urban Green Spaces Nibbling Away at Kota Damansara Forest
032 Nurturing a Nature Revival Co-existing with the Wild in the Valley
034 A Roadmap for Disaster Resilience in Malaysia
035 MENTORSHIP
037 TRAINING
038 OUTREACH
040 RADIO
041 RECOGNITION
042 WHO WE ARE
Macaranga
EDITORS
Wong Siew Lyn
Law Yao Hua
ANNUAL 2024
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Law Yao Hua
Wong Siew Lyn
Ashley Yeong
Lee Kwai Han
Bryan Yong
Hannan Azmir
Liani MK
Dato’ Amar-Singh HSS
Tracy Keeling
Chen Yih Wen
Liew Teck Lai
SOCIAL MEDIA ASSOCIATE
Low Yi Ven
PROJECT MANAGER
Deborah Augustine
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Dear Reader,
Welcome to our 2024 Annual. This encapsulates what we did in the past year and encourages you to re-read (or read) our stories. Here, we present selected stories in one or two visuals, a summary, and links so you can go to the full stories or listen to podcasts.
We embarked on wildlife trade coverage this year (reflected in this Annual’s cover).
Ashley and Bryan looked at the trade in pitcher plants (p8) while Kwai Han and Hannan tried to unravel how online wildlife trade worked (p12). In March, Yao Hua, in collaboration with Tracy, went back to the beginnings of arowana trade to uncover why wild populations today are almost decimated (p10).
In our marine thematic focus, Siew Lyn detailed the innovative IUCN Important Shark and Ray Areas in Malaysia in an interactive map and discussion (p22). She also worked with Ashley and Amar on uncovering the link between mangrove specialist birds and disappearing back mangroves (p16).
Yao Hua followed up on his forest plantation series of 2 years ago by tracking how much a government moratorium on new forest plantations was taking effect (p18). It wasn’t really, and clear-felling for this scheme continues to lead forest loss in Peninsular Malaysia. He also wrote about the high costs in terms of carbon, biodiversity and livelihoods from the imminent logging of the last virgin peat swamp forest in the peninsula. His story raised awareness of the issue, and the project report was eventually rejected by the government (p20).
Climate and just energy transition stories included dams’ impacts on Orang Asli sacred culture in Perak (p6); over-burdened drainage infrastructure in Kuching (p24); and toxic leachate from landfills in Selangor (p14).
We secured 2 big grants this year, to respectively cover environmental issues and wildlife crime, and to intensify mentorships and training (p35). In outreach, we continued our radio segment on BFM89.9 Radio on our monthly story theme, and online forum so readers could weigh in too.
Meanwhile, our monthly Macaranga Wrap-up of environmental news continued with our pals from ‘Earth Matters’ on BFM89.9.
We also extended our collaboration with environmental youth group YUFE to produce social media posts.
In 2024, we were honoured to have been invited to speak at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum, and were featured by BFM89.9 in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day.
All this and much more in the following pages. We hope you enjoy the Annual!
Siew Lyn and Yao Hua
Photo by Sunda Shelves
PERAK DAMS THREATEN STONE SPIRITS AND ANCESTRAL GRAVES
by Ashley Yeong
At the core of Macaranga’s writing are in-depth, evidence-based features. Produced monthly, these aim to provide thoughtful, balanced analysis and insight into issues using text, multimedia and data visualisation.
The
hydro dam in Jalong Tinggi stands just upstream from sacred rocks believed to have saved local Temiar from floods | Photo by Ashley Yeong
Sungai Korbu mini
Image by Freepik
Sacred rocks stand in a river a mere hundred metres from a 2-storey high dam wall. The local Temiar, for whom the rocks carry much meaning, say they were not told how close or large the dam would be.
This exemplifies how important just energy transition is, hydropower being a component of Malaysia’s transition away from fossil fuels to meet climate goals.
The Perak state government plans 31 mini hydro sites, a third of which have been built. But local villages, already equipped with power sources, do not directly benefit from this. Meanwhile,
[Edited by SL Wong]
the dams are often located in Orang Asli traditional lands. Conflict arises when authorities do not obtain adequate free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
“Batu ini dia punya cucu, ini dia punya atok, yang sana isteri dia, dan sini semua anak buah-anak buah dia (This rock here is his grandchild, here he has his grandfather, over there his wife, and here are his children).”
— Mat Seri, Jalong Tinggi elder, introducing the sacred rocks
Produced as part of the Macaranga Mentorship on Just Energy Transition, with funding by Klima Action Malaysia.
The (Big) Trouble with Smaller Dams
→ Perak Dams Threaten Stone Spirits and Ancestral Graves
Macaranga Chats: Just Energy Transition and Mini Hydro Dams
Empangan di Negeri Perak Ancam Keramat Batu dan Perkuburan Moyang
Macaranga Annual 2024
Flooding the market with affordable propagated Nepenthes helps reduce pressure on wild plants |
MASS PRODUCING TO SAVE PITCHER PLANTS A TRICKY BUSINESS
by Bryan Yong and Ashley Yeong
Pitcher plants (Nepenthes) are in high demand by hobbyists. But this group is the cause of illegal collection of wild plants. In fact, some species are dying out in the wild.
Horticulturists say producing lots of pitcher plants is the remedy. Tissue culture can produce millions of identical plants, theoretically forever.
It did work to save the largest species in Malaysia, Nepenthes Rajah, which nearly disappeared from Mount Kinabalu, Sabah.
But illegal collections continue, particularly of newly discovered species. And the origins of ‘propagated plants’ continue to be murky, especially rare ones.
Photo by Bryan Yong
“Unfortunately, some collectors still want wild, collected plants, .. something that’s different from everybody else, .. not something from the laboratory.”
— Chien Lee, wildlife photographer and biologist
[Edited by SL Wong]
The journalists produced these stories following a 2023 media workshop on wildlife crime co-led by Macaranga and supported by the US Agency for Global Media.
→ Mass Producing to Save Pitcher Plants A Tricky Business
READ
→ The World of Nepenthes
A Pitch to Save Pitcher Plants
Making pitcher plants “as common as muck”
Macaranga Annual 2024
Hyperlinks
The naming of the Asian arowana as ‘dragon fish’ led to its popularity for home aquariums, considering Asian reverence for dragons | Photo by
CONSERVING AROWANAS NEEDS MORE THAN RELEASING FISH
by Law Yao Hua and Tracy Keeling
Malaysia has been the world’s top exporter of farm-bred Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) since 2017. Yet, in the wild, Asian arowanas are critically endangered.
Eric Chiang
The heartland of arowana farms is Bukit Merah, Perak. Thousands of dug-out fish ponds line the canals out of Lake Bukit Merah. In 2021, Perak bred more than 1 million arowanas. But no wild fish have been caught for more than a decade now.
In response, Bukit Merah arowana farmers have released hundreds of adult farm-bred fishes into the wetlands. Their hope is that scores would survive, breed, and establish a thriving “wild” Asian arowana population in the near future.
But the lake itself suffers from severe drought and sedimentation. Much more is needed to restore Asian arowanas – and their native ecology.
Arowanas “are now everywhere [in farms and aquariums]. Why should they be protected? Better use the money to protect other animals.”
— Sam Wong Wey Loon, arowana trader
[Edited by SL Wong]
→ Conserving Arowanas Needs More Than Releasing Fish Part 1
→ Conserving Arowanas Needs More Than Releasing Fish Part 2
All About Arowanas
Making arowana conservation a success
SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES IT SO EASY TO LIKE AND BUY EXOTIC PETS
by Lee Kwai Han and Hannan Azmir
Online trade of wildlife is rife. When social media users are constantly fed images of owners with their exotic pets, it creates a desire to own one themselves. Researchers found that almost 95% of comments from social media users were positive, with many commenters noting that these animals looked ‘cute’ or ‘adorable’.
Screenshot of exotic pet content in Malaysia on social media platform TikTok.
In Peninsular Malaysia, PERHILITAN licences and permits are needed to trade and keep endangered wildlife. But there are inadequate laws, enforcement, and public awareness. Most owners, sellers, and poachers go unpunished.
In 2022, lawmakers added a section (88b) in the Wildlife Conservation Act that makes it illegal to promote the sale of protected wildlife without a trading licence, including online. But the section still has not been gazetted. Beyond laws, conservationists say that online platforms need to do a lot more.
“I thought you could just keep it, just like that. I wasn’t aware that it’s illegal. I wasn’t aware that it was an endangered species.”
— Amirul Nazri Wan Nawawi, former owner of a pair of Southern pig-tailed macaques, who released them into the forest
Where do Malaysians buy wildlife?
• TikTok
• Telegram
Source: PERHILITAN
[Edited by Law Yao Hua]
The journalists produced these stories following a 2023 media workshop on wildlife crime co-led by Macaranga and supported by the US Agency for Global Media.
→ Social Media Makes It So Easy To Like And Buy Exotic Pets
→ Langur In City Spotlights Efforts To Tackle Wildlife Trade Online
Can We Tame The Wild Marketplace For Exotic Pets in Malaysia?
Stopping illegal online pet trade
Macaranga
FLOODS, RISING SEAS MAKE DUMPS MORE DANGEROUS
by Ashley Yeong
Heavier rainfall, warmer days, drought, and rising sea levels are intensifying the growing problem of toxic leachate from landfills. This ‘garbage juice’ contain heavy metals and seeps into soil, groundwater and rivers that eventually flow into the sea, harming biodiversity, ecosystems and humans.
Leachate forms when water seeps through waste or is produced by waste | photo by Ashley Yeong
Leachate is an issue because as of 2023, only 15 of Malaysia’s registered operational landfills are sanitary landfills, which are lined to prevent leachate. The remaining 116 landfills are dumpsites.
What’s more, Malaysia is running out of space to hold ever more waste: the population is not only growing but are able to buy more and therefore throw more away. Climate change causing floods, droughts and fires, turns landfills and leachate into an alarming health risk.
“Heavy metals are inorganic and non-degradable. They stay in the environment, remaining in the soil for many years, [up to a century].”
[Edited by SL Wong]
What A Waste (Problem We Have!)
Dumpsite dangers – doing something
— Dr Munirah Hussein, researcher of heavy metals in landfills → Floods, Rising Seas Make
Malaysiakini, Asian Dispatch
Macaranga
LISTEN TO THE BIRDS TO SAVE MANGROVES
by Ashley Yeong, Amar-Singh HSS and SL Wong
The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis, a mangrove resident, has been pushed out from Selangor’s coast | Photo by Amar-Singh HSS
It was the absence of mangrove birds that alerted bird-watchers to the fact that mangroves were disappearing. Not all mangroves, but back mangroves specifically. These are the landward section of the coastal ecosystem that transitions to dryland forest.
We investigated how the bird species that were largely or wholly reliant on mangroves were indeed fewer in poorer mangrove areas. We found a variety of
barriers preventing mangrove inland succession, from bunds, aquaculture farms and landfills, to oil palm and industrial estates.
As sea levels rise caused by the climate crisis, mangroves cannot survive and need somewhere to expand. Without mangroves, nature’s powerful defences against increasing storm surges, tsunamis and coastal erosion are lost. And birds and other biodiversity are gone too.
“[On mangrove replanting zeal] We want to reforest, not just replant. Actually, if you let mangroves thrive naturally, they can regrow by themselves.”
— Dr Ahmad Aldrie Amir, mangrove ecologist
This story was co-published by the Malaysian Bird Report.
Hyperlinks
READ
→ Listen to the Birds to Save Mangroves
→ Strolling Through Magical Matang Mangroves
Saving birds means saving mangroves Asian Dispatch Birds for Mangroves!
Macaranga
Photo by Ashley Yeong
FIXING FOREST PLANTATIONS
by Law Yao Hua
In December 2021, the National Land Council announced that the federal and state governments in Peninsular Malaysia would not approve new forest plantations for 15 years. During this moratorium, foresters would review and rectify flaws in existing practices of forest plantations, which should be more aptly called ‘industrial tree plantations’.
In this 3-part series, we examine the changes that took place two-and-a-half years after the moratorium began.
concerned that industrial-scale forest plantations cause humanwildlife conflict and impact livelihoods
Orang Asli and local Malay villagers are
| Photo by Law Yao Hua
The federal government said it would complete reviewing the forest plantation programme in 2027. By then, the programme would have cleared another 50,000 ha of natural forests. We found that states continued to license new tree plantations, particularly Kelantan, Pahang, and Perak. Pahang had licensed 3 times its allocated quota and replanting still lagged. And while planters said regulation was stricter in Perak, local communities worried about the consequences of clearing natural forests. We followed locals into the forest reserves at Kuala Krau, Pahang, and Kuala Kangsar, Perak; we recorded their concerns in the stories.
[Edited by SL Wong]
This series follows up on our first coverage of the drivers and impacts of forest plantations in 2022 #LadangHutan.
→ Taking a 15-Year Break
→ Faster Replanting Needed
→ For Wood, Water and Wildlife
Can forest plantations be sustainable?
Report card on forest plantations
Hyperlinks
THE CLIMATE-FRIENDLY VIRGIN IN TERENGGANU
by Law Yao Hua
Peatlands are true bastions of our survival in a warming world. These unique soil ecosystems cover only 4% of Earth’s land surface but contain up to 30% of its carbon. Tropical peatlands are even more precious, as the warm climate makes it harder for peat to form. When peatlands are disturbed, the carbon trapped within for thousands of years is unleashed into the air. Global temperatures rise further.
The red outline was the proposed oil palm project, and the orange section is the peat swamp forest, which links to more forest outside the area.
When a peat swamp forest is cleared, canals are dug to drain it, making the flammable peat susceptible to fire
| Photo by Law Yao Hua
One and a half centuries of industrial carbon emissions have led to 2024 being the hottest year in historical record. Governments, including Malaysia’s, are looking for help to reduce carbon emissions. They are also spending billions to test technologies to take carbon from the air and lock it away.
And yet, the Terengganu government approved a project to clear and turn
[Edited by SL Wong]
“[The project] goes against the NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation) commitment and would be environmentally very damaging – especially when the evidence is so clear”
– Malaysian Palm Oil Board, in comments in the project Environmental Impact Assessment
the Mak Jintan virgin peat swamp forest into oil palm plantation. The area itself suffers floods and forest fires every year. We look at the project’s catastrophic climate impact and ways to protect the forest.
[The project was stopped after media coverage and NGO and other stakeholder push-backs]
Produced with a grant from the Youth Environment Living Labs (YELL) administered by Justice for Wildlife Malaysia (JWM)
Hyperlinks
→ The Climate-friendly Virgin in Terengganu
→ The Heat on Peat – A Look at Tropical Peat Swamp Forests
→ About peatland: How to balance between conservation and development? (In Chinese)
Why and how to love peatlands
Macaranga
DIVERS, FISHERS AND SCIENTISTS MAP SHARKS AND RAYS TO SAVE THEM
by SL Wong
The Lankayan ISRA in Sabah is a confirmed resting area for the Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark (Stegostoma tigrinum)
Knowing where different sharks and rays reproduce, feed, hang out, and rest, is important for conservation. But it is hard to do – unless everyone joins in. Now, thanks to scientific evidence, collaboration with divers and fishers, and the mining of public data, a new atlas of these areas is sparking optimism for the threatened fishes.
| Photo by Achier Chung
MALAYSIA IMPORTANT SHARK AND RAY AREAS
Malaysia’s 10 Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) range from unexpected sites such as Kuala Pahang to worldclass dive destinations such as Sipadan. These are sites that provide nurseries for well-known species such as the Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus), and safe waters for the little-known Shorthorned Pygmy Devil Rays (Mobula kuhlii) to aggregate up to 100 at a time.
This innovative approach to shark and ray conservation hopes to turn the tide against the critical threats to them;
[Edited by Law Yao Hua]
their extinction is second in scale globally only to amphibians.
“ISRAs are being considered in marine spatial planning…They are being prioritised for monitoring and enforcement of protected areas. Some areas have led to the protection of species nationally.”
– Dr Rima Jabado, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group
Produced with a grant from the Youth Environment Living Labs (YELL) administered by Justice for Wildlife Malaysia (JWM)
→ Divers, Fishers and Scientists Map Sharks and Rays to Save Them
→ Where the Sharks Swim
Shark Conservation 101
– What are ISRAs?
Where are our sharks? It matters
FIGHTING FLOODS WITH BETTER DRAINAGE IN KUCHING
by Liani MK
Jeremy Aaron’s home has been hit by floods so many times, he has given up repairing his disintegrating floor. The resident of Kampung Tabuan Dayak, is one of Kuching’s long-suffering flood victims. One reason for the recurring disasters is outdated drainage.
Still a wreck one week after being flooded, the home of Jeremy Aaron and his parents has been inundated repeatedly since 2010
| Photos by Arieff Zafir
“..In
city centres like the Kuching city area, some of the drainage systems can be old. With poor management and maintenance, along with overpopulation and high speed of development, it can cause water to overflow.”
– Dr Haryati Shafii, professor of environmental management
[Edited by SL Wong]
As flash floods intensify in the Sarawak capital – exacerbated by the climate crisis –communities are left vulnerable. Meanwhile, a critical infrastructure project in Sungai Sarawak to deal with this, is finally creaking to a start after an 8-year delay due to changes in the federal government.
Experts say drainage system design and improvement must take into account future rainfall patterns and urban conditions. Furthermore, weather and drainage information must be accessible to not only planners, engineers and local councils, but the public to build resilience in the face of disasters.
Macaranga
BANKING ON RIVER RESERVES TO PROTECT WATER SUPPLY
by Chen Yih Wen
Since 2014, taps can suddenly go dry in the Klang Valley. Selangor for one, draws 90% of its water supply from rivers. Contamination of these rivers has shut down the state’s water treatment plants at least once a year (with a break in 2017—2018). These disruptions were estimated to have bled billions of ringgit yearly from the state coffers and economy.
The Selangor government is turning to law and order to reduce river pollution. Specifically, it wants to gazette many
more zones of protection along rivers. These areas prohibit all sorts of development and waste dumping. In the Selangor State Structure Plan 2035, the government announced its intention to reserve its major rivers and tributaries.
But many stretches of the riverbanks in urban areas are occupied or owned by the private sector. How much could the government take? And how well can it enforce the regulations within these zones of protection?
Communities work to clean up riverbanks, but laws with teeth are badly needed | Photo by Chen Yih Wen
[Edited by Law Yao Hua]
Produced with a grant from the Youth Environment Living Labs (YELL) administered by Justice for Wildlife Malaysia (JWM)
→ Banking on River Reserves to Protect Water Supply
“Environmental challenges are often multi-dimensional, encompassing areas such as water management, water disposal, land use and industrial regulation. We are increasing our surveillance capacities, enhancing collaboration with the Department of Environment (DOE), and utilising real-time monitoring systems to detect violations early.”
— Jamaliah Jamaluddin, Selangor State EXCO for Public Health and Environment
Protecting Selangor’s Rivers and Water
How to best protect Selangor rivers
Macaranga Annual 2024
Hyperlinks
Floods have brought huge losses to the people
| Source: Canva Image Library
气候变迁法案是 系统治灾依据
CLIMATE CHANGE BILL IS BASIS FOR SYSTEMATIC DISASTER MANAGEMENT (CHINESE)
by Liew Teck Lai
As greenhouse gases warm up our world, everyone is walking into a future of regular and more severe disasters. The Malaysian government aims to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2050, but execution will be tough. To start, the country lacks legislation that tackles the climate crisis specifically.
This article quotes current and former ministers of environment and environmentalists to report on the need for a Climate Change Bill.
[Edited by Law Yao Hua]
Produced with support from Klima Action Malaysia.
GREEN PEST CONTROL KEY TO SUSTAINABLE PADDY FARMING
by Chloe Holley, University of Tasmania
by Maureen Beresford
Pest control is a critical part of agriculture because it can impact yield tremendously. But conventional insecticides can devastate the environment. In Tanjung Karang, Selangor, rice planters have turned to biological methods to control pests, a model for farmers everywhere.
Curated commentaries by experts on the ground
Photo
Macaranga
SUPPORT COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO BETTER MANAGE URBAN GREEN SPACES
by Tapan Kumar Nath, University of Nottingham Malaysia
Urban communities appreciate green spaces around them and should be allowed to co-manage these areas for better results. Involving community in managing forests, enhances collective action, improves wellbeing of users, and increases efficiency in resource use.
Photo from Google Earth Pro, 2023
NIBBLING AWAY AT KOTA DAMANSARA FOREST
by Peter Leong, Kota Damansara Community Forest Society
Inadequate protection of precious urban forests is shrinking them. Between 2007 and 2017, Kuala Lumpur lost about 88% of its urban green spaces. The most secure of these, the Kota Damansara Community Forest, is being threatened by land alienations and encroachments at its edges by adjacent landowners/occupants.
→ Support Community Efforts to Better Manage Urban Green Spaces
→ Nibbling Away at Kota Damansara Forest
Photo by Dorothy Woon
NURTURING A NATURE REVIVAL
by Surin Suksuwan, biodiversity conservationist and nature interpreter
In the Sustainability and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) space, the metrics for measuring nature dependencies and biodiversity impacts are even more complex than for carbon and climate change. For consultants to tackle that requires firstly, being informed about the basics of their natural world, knowledge which is lacking among this generation of Malaysians.
Photo by Surin Suksuwan
CO-EXISTING WITH THE WILD IN THE VALLEY
by Ashwiini Paranjothi, Animal Neighbours Project
The Klang Valley’s rapid development threatens not only our local biodiversity but also the delicate balance required for harmonious co-existence between humans and wildlife. While it is possible, it requires us to rethink and better understand how we share our spaces with wildlife.
→ Nurturing a Nature Revival
→ Co-existing with the Wild in the Valley
Photo by Animal Neighbours Project
A ROADMAP FOR DISASTER RESILIENCE IN MALAYSIA
by Sheikh Kamran Abid, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
From infrastructure to community involvement and good governance, resilience in the face of disasters must be built. This means reducing the vulnerability of both urban and rural communities to natural hazards, enhancing the capacity to bounce back after disasters, and ensuring that these events do not derail the country’s long-term development goals.
→ A Roadmap for Disaster Resilience in Malaysia
Screenshot of landslide in Cameron Highlands from JKR Daerah Kinta Facebook
TRAINING, OUTREACH
MENTORSHIP,
MENTORSHIP
Building capacity has been core to Macaranga from the day we started. We work not only with our own writers but also journalists from other newsrooms. Our monthslong mentorships bring journalists from story idea to publication. Our training comprises full media workshops on environmental journalism and sessions within training programmes run by other outfits. Details of these programmes are in our blog.
Mentorship of Macaranga contributing writers
We mentored 5 contributing writers on stories on wildlife trade, just energy transition, landfills, infrastructure, and mangroves. One writer, Ashley Yeong, joined us for 9 months.
Macaranga Mentorship on Covering Wildlife Trade and Crime
This year-long mentorship led by Siew Lyn explores wildlife trade and crime issues such as drivers of over-exploitation, right up to how courts are sentencing wildlife crimes. It comprised a workshop for 12 journalists from different newsrooms, court attendance, and mentorship of 4 journalists to produce feature stories over 2024/5. The workshop was hosted by TRAFFIC and the mentorship is supported by Internews Earth Journalism Network.
Macaranga Newsroom
Mentorship Programme on Just Energy Transition
BERNAMA series on solar panel waste
We wrapped up this 3-month mentorship programme this year. Developed and led by Siew Lyn, 7 journalists from 3 newsrooms, produced stories on just energy transition: Macaranga on dams and Orang Asli cultural heritage; Free Malaysia Today on dams and Orang Asli relocation; and BERNAMA on end-of-life for solar panels. BERNAMA’S series got a mention in Parliament. The programme was supported by Klima Action Malaysia.
Wildlife trade and crime mentorship
TRAINING
Collaboration with YUFE on Social Media Stories Macaranga collaborated with environmental youth group Youths United For Earth (YUFE) to produce 11 social media posts based on our stories in 2023/4. The #YUFExMacaranga collaboration continued last year as part of our 2024/5 mentorship on wildlife trade and crime. It was kickstarted by a workshop by Macaranga and TRAFFIC, and produced posts on 2 topics, with more in 2025.
We conducted 9 journalism sessions in workshops variously for media, civil society and educational institutions. The majority were led by Yao Hua, of which 5 were on data journalism.
Data journalism session, Reporting on Infrastructure workshop, organised by Malayisakini
Activity details are in our blog.
#YUFExMacaranga
@macarangamedia @macaranga.org
In November 2024, we got on Yi Ven as our social media associate to increase the effectiveness of our social media and Deobrah to help project manage events.
‘Why support environmental journalism?’, Earth Festival open mic (Photo by Yap Sheau Jia)
forum
MEMBER OF
• Asian Dispatch
• Covering Climate Now
• The Environmental Reporting Collective
Activity details are in our blog.
Macaranga Annual 2024
Macaranga Chats monthly online
RADIO
SEGMENTS ON BFM89.9 RADIO
MONTHLY WRAP-UP
Macaranga has a regular segment on ‘Earth Matters’ with Juliet Jacobs on BFM89.9 Radio. It is a 20-minute discussion of key environmental news and issues in Malaysia at the end of each month. December sees a review of the year that was. All podcasts are available on our blog and on www.bfm.my.
MACARANGA STORY
DISCUSSION
ON AIR
Tune in every last Monday of the month at 3.30pm on BFM89.9 Radio or www.bfm.my.
Hosted by producer Juliet Jacobs (right), this ‘Earth Matters’ segment featured shark and ray conservation with (left to right) Siew Lyn, Amy Then (Universiti Malaya) and Serena Adam (WWF).
We also appear on ‘Earth Matters’ to discuss issues and findings raised in our monthly stories. The 40-minute segment hosted by Juliet Jacobs features us with our contributing writers, interviewees and experts. All podcasts are available on our blog and on www.bfm.my.
Yao Hua with writer Chen Yih Wen (right) and Kennedy Michael (Alliance of River Three ART!) at the BFM studio discussing river reserves.
RECOGNITION
Our contributing writer Lee Kwai Han co-won the Said Zahari Young Journalist Award 2023/2024 for her story on rare earths. The story was edited by Yao Hua, who was the award recipient 2 years ago.
Yao Hua and Siew Lyn were recognised as Wiki Impact’s 100 Changemakers
Macaranga were invited to talk about environmental journalism in the Khazanah Megatrends Forum 2024. Our presentation was on ‘Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Environmental Reporting the Macaranga Way’.
“We believe that journalism is a force for good. We believe that journalism can effect change for the better. We believe that journalism can hold those who are in power accountable.”
We were featured in a World Press Freedom Day radio spotlight on ‘Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis’.
Macaranga
WHO WE ARE
CO-FOUNDERS
Wong Siew Lyn has been creating content about the environment for over 30 years, working on everything from books and reports to documentaries and project management. This is the fourth content portal she has built and run. She has a soft spot for conservation, grassroots efforts and marine issues.
Law Yao Hua has been reporting on science and the environment since 2014. He is a two-time Pulitzer Centre Rainforest Investigative Network fellow and has written for Science, Science News, and The Atlantic. He loves to eat durians and observe insects, reliving his days as a full-time insect ecologist.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Ashley Yeong is an independent journalist who is drawn to narratives that shed light on our environment and human rights. Her work has appeared in various media outlets such as Malay Mail, Southeast Asia Globe, and Fair Planet. She is a member of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network.
Lee Kwai Han is a freelance writer who started writing about people and happenings in Penang’s art scene in 2020. In 2022, she delved into environmental journalism. She thinks what happens in the environment reflects how a social system functions. She wishes to keep learning about it and keep each part of the system informed.
Liani MK is a journalist focusing on migration, culture and Indigenous rights. She has received awards for her work, including Honorable Mention for the 2024 SOPA Awards’ Excellence in Reporting on the Environment. Her work has appeared in NPR, Rest of World, Southeast Asia Globe, and The New York Times.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Hannan Azmir is a science writer and journalist based in Kuala Lumpur. After making the jump from pipette to pen, she is interested in exploring stories about science, the people behind it and the people affected by it.
Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS is editor of the Malaysian Bird Report. A bird watcher for more than 50 years, he has published 2 bird books, is interested in spending time getting to know bird behaviour and considers himself a bird-friend. Based in Ipoh, he is also a consultant paediatrician and an active child and disability advocate.
Bryan Yong is a Masters in Oceanography research candidate who wants to be an environmental journalist. He believes it is important to bridge the gap between researchers and the public through good and informative storytelling. He also co-founded EcoCupid, an environmental media project connecting Southeast Asia.
Tracy Keeling is a freelance environmental journalist based in the UK. Her work has been published in Daily Maverick, The Ecologist, and other media outlets. Tracy writes an extinction crisis-focused Substack newsletter called The 4 Percent, in reference to the woefully small proportion of the Earth’s mammals who are wild.
Liew Teck Lai runs Delight Media and has been in media for more than 10 years, working as a magazine editor, newspaper reporter, and special correspondent for various media outlets, covering politics, science and technology, as well as inter-religious and cultural interviews and photo shoots.
Low Yi Ven, our Social Media Associate is a creative marketing strategist who believes marketing can be a powerful force for effective altruism. Her goal is to create a positive ripple effect that drives meaningful social change through marketing that cares and connects. Currently, she supports purpose-driven MSMEs and social enterprises.
Deborah Augustin, our project manager, is a writer and educator from Petaling Jaya where she writes, teaches and organises. She edits flash writing at Apogee Journal. Her work has appeared in Arts Equator, Plural Art, Popula, Catapult and khōréō. She dreams of a world where we all have freedom of movement.
Read our previous Annuals:
Read the Macaranga Annual 2023
Read the Macaranga Annual 2022
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