Malaysia’s highest court has dismissed a legal challenge to protect the Shah Alam Community Forest, marking the end of a three-and-a-half-year fight by conservation groups. The decision has raised serious concerns about the future of forest protection in the country, and what it could mean for public participation in environmental decisions. Joining us to help unpack what this ruling means, and what comes next, are Alicia Teoh, Founder and Secretary of the Shah Alam Community Forest Society, and Dr Teckwyn Lim, Advisor of the society.

Malaysia’s highest court has dismissed a legal challenge to protect the Shah Alam Community Forest, marking the end of a three-and-a-half-year fight by conservation groups. The decision has raised serious concerns about the future of forest protection in the country, and what it could mean for public participation in environmental decisions. Joining us to help unpack what this ruling means, and what comes next, are Alicia Teoh, Founder and Secretary of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://shahalamforest.org">Shah Alam Community Forest Society</a>, and Dr Teckwyn Lim, Advisor of the society.

Climate change, ferocious weather and ‘the haze’ are now part our everyday lives. How are our lifestyles connected to them, and what can we do about it? What does the economy have to do with it? Earth Matters engages with activists and experts to explore our changing relationship with the planet that we only borrow from our children.

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Bukit Cherakah Forest Battle: The Story & What’s Next

In Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Buloh, a group of Temuan women are running a community nursery, growing native plants using knowledge rooted in the forest around them. Their work supports both livelihoods and conservation, while drawing on generations of lived experience and connection to the land. This has been brought together in “A Guide to Our Nursery and Plants”, a booklet shaped by the women’s knowledge and experiences, and produced under the Rantaian Urban Green Spaces or RUGS project by the Malaysian Nature Society, and done in collaboration with Gerimis Art Project. We chat with Wen Di Sia (Co-founder, Gerimis Art Project) and Sharon Yap (Art Director, Gerimis Art Project) who worked on the booklet, about the value of indigenous plants and knowledge, the women behind the nursery working to preserve this legacy, and what we can all learn from their work.

In Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Buloh, a group of Temuan women are running a community nursery, growing native plants using knowledge rooted in the forest around them. Their work supports both livelihoods and conservation, while drawing on generations of lived experience and connection to the land. This has been brought together in “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rugs.my/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A-Guide-to-Our-Nursery-Plants-Web.pdf">A Guide to Our Nursery and Plants</a>”, a booklet shaped by the women’s knowledge and experiences, and produced under the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rugs.my/">Rantaian Urban Green Spaces</a> or RUGS project by the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mns.my/">Malaysian Nature Society</a>, and done in collaboration with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/gerimisart">Gerimis Art Project</a>. We chat with Wen Di Sia (Co-founder, Gerimis Art Project) and Sharon Yap (Art Director, Gerimis Art Project) who worked on the booklet, about the value of indigenous plants and knowledge, the women behind the nursery working to preserve this legacy, and what we can all learn from their work.

Growing Native Plants, Protecting Indigenous Knowledge

This year marks ten years since the Sarawak government cancelled the proposed Baram Dam, a project that would have displaced thousands of people and flooded vast areas of Indigenous land. It was a hard-fought victory, led by communities who stood their ground for years to protect their rivers and their homes. But today, Sarawak is once again pushing forward with new dam proposals, raising familiar concerns about environmental impact, energy needs, and whether communities are being properly included in the process. Are we seeing history repeat itself? We discuss this and more with Peter Kallang, Chairman and Founder of SAVE Rivers, and Celine Lim, Managing Director of SAVE Rivers.


Image: Sarawak, Bakun Jan 5, 2018, Murum dam

Image Credit: Shutterstock

This year marks ten years since the Sarawak government cancelled the proposed Baram Dam, a project that would have displaced thousands of people and flooded vast areas of Indigenous land. It was a hard-fought victory, led by communities who stood their ground for years to protect their rivers and their homes. But today, Sarawak is once again pushing forward with new dam proposals, raising familiar concerns about environmental impact, energy needs, and whether communities are being properly included in the process. Are we seeing history repeat itself? We discuss this and more with Peter Kallang, Chairman and Founder of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://saverivers.org/">SAVE Rivers</a>, and Celine Lim, Managing Director of SAVE Rivers. Image: Sarawak, Bakun Jan 5, 2018, Murum damImage Credit: Shutterstock

Who Benefits From Sarawak’s New Dams?

Indigenous knowledge, cultural identity, and environmental stewardship all come together in a project called Jungle School Gombak, which offers something quite different from a typical classroom. Here, the forest becomes the learning space, and Orang Asli community members take on the role of teachers, sharing skills, stories, and perspectives that are rarely experienced firsthand. It’s an initiative that not only brings people closer to nature, but also challenges how we think about knowledge, expertise, and whose voices matter. We're joined by its co-founders, Major Retired Kalam Pie, an Orang Asli activist and former Royal Malaysian Air Force officer, and Assistant Professor Dr Norzalifa Zainal Abidin, from the faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Indigenous knowledge, cultural identity, and environmental stewardship all come together in a project called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/jungleschoolgombakmalaysia/">Jungle School Gombak</a>, which offers something quite different from a typical classroom. Here, the forest becomes the learning space, and Orang Asli community members take on the role of teachers, sharing skills, stories, and perspectives that are rarely experienced firsthand. It’s an initiative that not only brings people closer to nature, but also challenges how we think about knowledge, expertise, and whose voices matter. We're joined by its co-founders, Major Retired Kalam Pie, an Orang Asli activist and former Royal Malaysian Air Force officer, and Assistant Professor Dr Norzalifa Zainal Abidin, from the faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Bukit Cherakah Forest Battle: The Story & What’s Next

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