Earth Matters

For this month's Nature Reads, together with co-host Surin Suksuwan (co-founder, Sunda Shelves), we speak to author and anthropologist Dr. Christine Padoch, whose new bilingual book Pemulai ke Nanga Jela / Return to Nanga Jela takes us back to an Iban longhouse community in Sarawak that once stood above the Engkari River, a landscape that was later submerged by the Batang Ai Dam. Through her time living among the Iban community in the 1970s, Christine documented their extraordinary relationship with the land, from cultivating dozens of rice varieties to maintaining traditions deeply rooted in place. She joins us to talk about the book, her fieldwork, and what this story of Nanga Jela can still teach us about culture, memory, and our connection with nature. Nature Reads on Earth Matters is the 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Papua New Guinea is home to one of the world’s last great tropical rainforests, a vital ecosystem that stores carbon, supports thousands of species, and sustains Indigenous communities. But a new report titled “Malaysia’s Timber Colony: Exposing Malaysia’s Grip Over Papua New Guinea’s Forests” has revealed just how much control Malaysian-linked companies have over the country’s forests. The investigation finds that 97% of Forest Clearing Authorities - licenses meant for agricultural development - are actually held by Malaysian-linked timber companies, driving large-scale deforestation and the exploitation of local landowners. We speak to co-authors of the report, land owner and land rights activist Samuel Kime from Papua New Guinea, Johanna Michel, Deputy Director of Bruno Manser Fonds, and Adam Farhan, the Director of RimbaWatch, to find out more.Image Credit: Bruno Manser FondsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new deforestation alert has been raised in Sarawak, this time around the Bakun Reservoir. Satellite and drone images show that native forest is being cleared to make way for a massive commercial bamboo plantation spanning over 44,000 hectares. The project, approved under the state’s License for Planted Forests scheme, has sparked serious concern among affected Indigenous communities and environmental groups. To help us understand what’s happening and what it means for Sarawak’s forests, we speak to Fiona McAlpine, Communications and Project Manager at The Borneo Project.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s Budget 2026 has been described as a “green and low-carbon” budget, with RM2.38 billion allocated to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, and new measures like a carbon tax and expanded green technology incentives. But how far do these allocations really go toward protecting our forests, rivers, and wildlife, and what’s missing from the picture? We speak to Adam Farhan, the Director of environmental think-tank RimbaWatch, and Gabriel Hii, the co-chair of the Sarawak CSO–SDG Alliance, for their separate takes on Budget 2026's environment allocations. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just last month, as we celebrated Malaysia Day, news broke of a heartbreaking poaching case in Johor, where a Malayan tiger was found dead, stuffed into the boot of a car. It had been caught in a trap and shot six times before its death, a cruel reminder of how vulnerable our national treasure remains. With fewer than 150 Malayan tigers left in the wild, every loss hits hard, but there’s still hope, thanks to the tireless efforts of those working to protect them. One such group is Persatuan Pelindung Harimau Malaysia, or RIMAU, an organisation dedicated to protecting tiger habitats, reducing poaching, and inspiring Malaysians to take action. We speak with RIMAU's President Lara Ariffin, and Secretary Renee Aziz Ahmad, about the fight to save the Malayan tiger, the challenges, the progress, and the hope that keeps them going.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are challenges that don’t wait for budget cycles. That’s why many are calling for stronger government commitments in Budget 2026. What's on the environmental wish list, and why does it matter for all of us? We hear from two activists working in the environment and conservation field - Khor Sue Yee, Co-founder and Director of Zero Waste Malaysia, and Andrew Sebastian, the CEO of the Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Malaysia (ECOMY) - about their wish list for Budget 2026. Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism isn’t just about where we travel, it also shapes our economy, our communities, and our natural heritage. Three years ago, The Habitat Foundation and Tengah Island Conservation came together with a bold idea: to create a coalition that could raise the profile of sustainable tourism and strengthen the people working in the field. We speak to its co-founders, Justine Vaz and Cher Chua-Lassalvy, to talk about their work, their lessons after three years, and their hopes for the future of tourism here at home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For September's episode, we speak to Dr. Balamurugan, the founder of ERE Consulting Group and CEO of Elistra Advisory, who recently retired after a long and influential career in environmental consultancy. He is also an avid traveller with a lifelong passion for nature, and together with co-host, Surin Suksuwan, co-founder of Sunda Shelves, he discusses the books that shaped his journey, both professionally and personally.Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a monthly show where we explore the stories behind books that bring us closer to nature and the world around us, done in collaboration with Sunda Shelves, an independent bookstore and café with a passion for wild places and thoughtful reads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terrapin conservation isn’t just about saving a species, it’s also about involving communities, empowering women, and reconnecting Malaysians with our rivers. That’s the approach taken by the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia, the country’s first and only NGO dedicated to freshwater turtle conservation. We catch up with its Co-Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok, for our annual check-in to talk about recent findings, the society’s ongoing projects, and their much-anticipated Annual Terrapin Release this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From diving while seven months pregnant, to pioneering sustainable aquaculture projects that support coastal communities, Prof. Dato' Dr. Aileen Tan has dedicated her life to the ocean. That dedication has now earned her global recognition, as she’s the first Malaysian to win the Anton Bruun Medal, one of marine science’s highest honours. Dr Aileen, a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Director of the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS) at USM, joins us to reflect on her journey, her research, and her hopes for the future of our seas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forests, rivers, and communities are all deeply connected. In Sarawak, Indigenous communities have been working tirelessly to protect their homelands, and organisations like Save Rivers have been walking alongside them. Their campaigns have led to big wins, like holding timber companies accountable, and they’re also nurturing alternatives, like reforestation, ecotourism, and mapping ancestral lands. As we celebrate Malaysia Day, we catch up with Celine Lim, the Managing Director of Save Rivers, to talk about how these local stories of resilience are part of our national story too.Image Credit: Save RiversSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Merdeka and Malaysia Day season, we’re reminded that our country’s story isn’t just about people and places, it’s also about our connection to nature. We speak to a family who embodies that spirit - wildlife photographer Anuar McAfee (Director, International Centre, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin and Research Fellow, East Coast Environmental Research Institute), and his sons Muhammad Cornelius McAfee (Tour Guide, Ketengah), and Aidan McAfee (Student, Politeknik Banting) - who have spent countless hours exploring Terengganu’s forests, rivers, and skies. We discuss their love of the outdoors, the birds and wildlife of Terengganu, and why Kenyir Lake and other nature spots around Terengganu are natural gems worth discovering.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever been to the beach, only to find more rubbish than seashells? Unfortunately, that’s a reality for many of our coastlines. But every September, thousands of Malaysians gather to clean our beaches and record what’s being collected during the International Coastal Cleanup, coordinated by Reef Check Malaysia. Those numbers reveal not just what’s ending up in the ocean, but also what needs to change in our daily lives and in policy. Joining us to talk about this year’s cleanup, and the bigger picture of marine debris and pollution, are Julian Hyde, the CEO of Reef Check Malaysia, and Theresa Ng, Reef Check Malaysia’s COO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve all been there - stuck in traffic, breathing in exhaust, or wondering why our city feels harder to live in than it should. But what if the solution wasn’t just more roads or bigger buildings, but smarter ways to design and run our cities? We speak to Dr. Non Arkaraprasertkul, a Senior Expert at Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency, who's been behind more than 120 smart city projects across Thailand. He joins us to share more about his work which involves cities across ASEAN, and how bringing together technology, good policy, and what people actually need, can achieve the goal of creating cities that are easier to live in, better for the environment, and built for the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They are striking, noisy, and unmistakable - but hornbills are far more than beautiful rainforest residents. As key seed dispersers, they’re essential to the health of our forests. Few people know them as well as Dr. Yeap Chin Aik, co-founder & Primary Investigator for the MNS Hornbill Conservation Project with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), who has spent over twenty years tracking their movements, studying their habits, and working to ensure their survival. We explore the stories and science behind these remarkable birds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this month’s Macaranga Wrap-Up, we turn to the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. In Selangor, Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) marked the occasion with a two-day celebration themed “Defend the Earth, Restore the Land, Regreen the Future – Through Indigenous Wisdom.” We speak to Macaranga co-founder Wong Siew Lyn to unpack what that means for Indigenous rights and the environment, and for a run-down of the festivities.Image Credit: Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our latest episode of Nature Reads, we travel back to 1899, when Cambridge anthropologist Walter William Skeat led a major scientific expedition to Malaya. The expedition didn’t just collect plants and animals; it also produced classic books on zoology, botany, and culture that continue to influence how we understand our natural history today. To guide us through this chapter, we’re joined by Katherine Enright, a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, whose research looks at the politics and legacies of expeditions like Skeat’s. Together with co-host Dylan Jefri Ong, the co-founder of Sunda Shelves, we discuss the stories behind the books, the people, and the knowledge they preserved. Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a monthly show where we explore the stories behind books that bring us closer to nature and the world around us, done in collaboration with Sunda Shelves, an independent bookstore and café with a passion for wild places and thoughtful reads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia’s ecotourism scene has been quietly growing, with communities, conservation groups, and travellers all playing a part in making tourism more sustainable. Over the past year, Sustainable Tourism Malaysia has gone from 8 projects to 25, covering everything from waste-free islands to geoparks and urban green spaces. We catch up with Mariam Ghani, the Senior Programme Manager for The Habitat Foundation, who is also the Lead at Sustainable Tourism Malaysia, to discuss some highlights from the group's work this past year, and how they’ve been building sustainable tourism networks across the country. Mariam also shares some amazing cuti-cuti ideas and spots we can head to, for a sustainable and eco-friendly holiday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world is drowning in plastic, and governments have been working for more than three years on a global treaty to tackle the crisis. Countries have been locked in negotiations to create this treaty that could change the way plastics are produced, used, and managed worldwide. But the latest round of talks in Geneva has ended without a deal, as countries remain divided on some of the toughest issues, especially whether to curb plastic production itself. To help us understand what happened, why it matters, and what comes next, we speak to researcher Wong Pui Yi from the Basel Action Network, who was in Geneva throughout these negotiations.Image credit: Friends of the Earth InternationalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian elephants are iconic, intelligent, and a vital part of our natural heritage, but here in Malaysia, they face an uncertain future. Habitat loss, human–elephant conflict, infrastructure cutting through their ranges, and other growing threats have put immense pressure on their populations. Yet, hope remains, through groundbreaking research, innovative conflict mitigation strategies, and renewed efforts to foster coexistence between people and elephants. In this World Elephant Day special, we’ll explore what it really takes to share a landscape with these gentle giants with Associate Professor Dr. Wong Ee Phin (Principal Investigator, Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME)/ Nottingham University Malaysia) and Professor Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz (Principal Investigator, Megafauna Ecology and Conservation Research Group, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden).Listen to our World Elephant Day Special on Bornean Elephants here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.