In the first of this two-part “From The Frontline” special, we hear from Orang Asli women about the land disputes affecting communities across Peninsular Malaysia. Eliana a/p Tan Beng Hui, Diana a/p Tan Beng Hui and Rosdila Ngah Roslan, all Programme Coordinators from Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli, share what losing access to land can mean for everyday life, livelihoods, culture and community, and why women are often at the forefront of these struggles.

From The Frontline is an ongoing series within Earth Matters, where we hear directly from communities whose lives and livelihoods are being shaped by decisions about the land around them.

In the first of this two-part “From The Frontline” special, we hear from Orang Asli women about the land disputes affecting communities across Peninsular Malaysia. Eliana a/p Tan Beng Hui, Diana a/p Tan Beng Hui and Rosdila Ngah Roslan, all Programme Coordinators from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@ApaKataWanitaOrangAsli">Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli</a>, share what losing access to land can mean for everyday life, livelihoods, culture and community, and why women are often at the forefront of these struggles.From The Frontline is an ongoing series within Earth Matters, where we hear directly from communities whose lives and livelihoods are being shaped by decisions about the land around them.

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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From The Frontline: Life on Orang Asli Land (Part 1)

The Klang River is one of the defining waterways of Kuala Lumpur, but for many of us, it's something we pass by without really noticing. The Klang River Festival is trying to change that, by bringing people closer to the river, its history, its communities and the habitat along its banks. Now in its fifth year, the festival has grown beyond a weekend event into a year-round effort to build a stronger relationship between people and the river. This year's theme, “Act!vating Habitat”, puts the focus on the biodiversity of the riverbank, and on what it means to care for an urban river as a living environment. We speak to Faith Foo, Programme Coordinator, and Nurul Qistina, Community Architect, both with KongsiKL, which organises the Klang River Festival, about its origins, its environmental mission, and the role communities can play in reconnecting with the river and protecting its future.

The Klang River is one of the defining waterways of Kuala Lumpur, but for many of us, it's something we pass by without really noticing. The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.klangriverfestival.com/">Klang River Festival</a> is trying to change that, by bringing people closer to the river, its history, its communities and the habitat along its banks. Now in its fifth year, the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cloudjoi.com/org/496-klang-river-festival">festival</a> has grown beyond a weekend event into a year-round effort to build a stronger relationship between people and the river. This year's theme, “Act!vating Habitat”, puts the focus on the biodiversity of the riverbank, and on what it means to care for an urban river as a living environment. We speak to Faith Foo, Programme Coordinator, and Nurul Qistina, Community Architect, both with KongsiKL, which organises the Klang River Festival, about its origins, its environmental mission, and the role communities can play in reconnecting with the river and protecting its future.

Klang River Festival: Protecting Kuala Lumpur’s River 

In the second episode of this two-part From The Frontline special, we turn to the voices of young Orang Asli and what they want for the future of their communities. Diana a/p Tan Beng Hui, Eliana a/p Tan Beng Hui, and Rosdila Ngah Roslan, all Programme Coordinators from Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli reflect on July’s Indigenous Youth Camp and Regional Panel, before we look at the proposed amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954, the debate around customary land rights, and what meaningful recognition and consultation could look like.

In the second episode of this two-part From The Frontline special, we turn to the voices of young Orang Asli and what they want for the future of their communities. Diana a/p Tan Beng Hui, Eliana a/p Tan Beng Hui, and Rosdila Ngah Roslan, all Programme Coordinators from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@ApaKataWanitaOrangAsli">Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli</a> reflect on July’s Indigenous Youth Camp and Regional Panel, before we look at the proposed amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954, the debate around customary land rights, and what meaningful recognition and consultation could look like.

From The Frontline: Orang Asli Futures (Part 2)

When we talk about Malaysia’s endangered wildlife, the Malayan tiger usually gets the most attention. But there’s another large mammal in serious trouble, and there may be fewer than 200 of them left in the wild. The seladang, or Malayan gaur, once ranged across much of Peninsular Malaysia, but today, only a few small breeding herds remain. Even in protected forests, their numbers aren’t recovering. So why are seladang struggling to survive? What do they actually need, and what can we do before we lose them? We speak to Datuk Dr John Payne from Bringing Back Our Rare Animals (BORA), and Dr Ahmad Zafir, a wildlife ecologist from The Habitat Foundation, who have been researching solutions to help bring seladang numbers back up.

When we talk about Malaysia’s endangered wildlife, the Malayan tiger usually gets the most attention. But there’s another large mammal in serious trouble, and there may be fewer than 200 of them left in the wild. The seladang, or Malayan gaur, once ranged across much of Peninsular Malaysia, but today, only a few small breeding herds remain. Even in protected forests, their numbers aren’t recovering. So why are seladang struggling to survive? What do they actually need, and what can we do before we lose them? We speak to Datuk Dr John Payne from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bringingbackourrareanimals.org/">Bringing Back Our Rare Animals</a> (BORA), and Dr Ahmad Zafir, a wildlife ecologist from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.habitatfoundation.org.my/">The Habitat Foundation</a>, who have been researching solutions to help bring seladang numbers back up.

From The Frontline: Life on Orang Asli Land (Part 1)

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