Melaka’s coastline is facing a transformation of unprecedented scale. A massive land reclamation project spanning over 1,100 hectares is being proposed under the Straits of Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (SM-WEZ), touted to bring billions in investment and thousands of jobs. But the push for development is being met with growing resistance. Environmentalists, fisherfolk, and local communities warn of devastating ecological and economic consequences, from the loss of vital turtle nesting sites to the worsening of flood risks. We speak with Martin Theseira, the Chairman of Save Our Seashores Melaka, and Frits van Walsem, the Director of Sail and Science Sdn. Bhd. to understand what’s really at stake.



Image Credit: Frits van Walsem / mataburung.com

Melaka’s coastline is facing a transformation of unprecedented scale. A massive land reclamation project spanning over 1,100 hectares is being proposed under the Straits of Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone (SM-WEZ), touted to bring billions in investment and thousands of jobs. But the push for development is being met with growing resistance. Environmentalists, fisherfolk, and local communities warn of devastating ecological and economic consequences, from the loss of vital turtle nesting sites to the worsening of flood risks. We speak with Martin Theseira, the Chairman of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/SOSMelaka/">Save Our Seashores Melaka</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.mataburung.com/">Frits van Walsem</a>, the Director of Sail and Science Sdn. Bhd. to understand what’s really at stake.Image Credit: Frits van Walsem / <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://mataburung.com">mataburung.com</a>

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.

Earth Matters

Melaka Mega Reclamation: What’s at Stake?

 Proposed changes to Malaysia’s seed laws have sparked a growing debate about farmers’ rights, food security, and corporate control. At the centre of the discussion is UPOV 1991, an international framework that strengthens plant breeders’ rights but has raised concerns across the region. To help us unpack what this could mean for Malaysia and Southeast Asia, we’re joined by Sangeeta Shashikant from the Third World Network, and Nori Ignacio, the Executive Director of SEARICE.


Image Credit: SEARICE

&nbsp;Proposed changes to Malaysia’s seed laws have sparked a growing debate about farmers’ rights, food security, and corporate control. At the centre of the discussion is UPOV 1991, an international framework that strengthens plant breeders’ rights but has raised concerns across the region. To help us unpack what this could mean for Malaysia and Southeast Asia, we’re joined by Sangeeta Shashikant from the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.twn.my/">Third World Network</a>, and Nori Ignacio, the Executive Director of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.searice.org.ph/">SEARICE</a>. Image Credit: SEARICE

Understanding Malaysia's Seed Law Shift

Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a 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 Sunda Shelves, an independent bookstore with a passion for wild places and thoughtful reads. This month, together with co-host Surin Suksuwan, the co-founder of Sunda Shelves, we turn our attention to a homegrown series that blends storytelling, folklore, and the natural world. We’re joined by writer and journalist Salhan K Ahmad, author of the Alak books, including Alak in the Hinterland and Alak and the Curse of Jerangau. We discuss the landscapes and ideas that shaped these stories, the books that first sparked his own love of nature, and how fiction can help us see the environment in new ways.

Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a 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 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/sundashelves">Sunda Shelves</a>, an independent bookstore with a passion for wild places and thoughtful reads. This month, together with co-host Surin Suksuwan, the co-founder of Sunda Shelves, we turn our attention to a homegrown series that blends storytelling, folklore, and the natural world. We’re joined by writer and journalist Salhan K Ahmad, author of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://alak.my/">Alak books</a>, including Alak in the Hinterland and Alak and the Curse of Jerangau. We discuss the landscapes and ideas that shaped these stories, the books that first sparked his own love of nature, and how fiction can help us see the environment in new ways.

Nature Reads: Folklore, Forests, and the Alak Books

Across Malaysia, questions about Orang Asli land rights have been back in the headlines, from the detention of villagers in Pahang over a land dispute, to communities facing displacement, environmental damage, and development carried out without meaningful consultation. One of the latest flashpoints is Pulau Carey in Selangor, where the Mah Meri community in Kampung Sungai Kurau says a proposed port expansion could threaten their fishing grounds, cultural heritage, and way of life. We speak with Lanuza Layon, Chairperson of the Kampung Sungai Kurau Village Development and Security Committee, and Sarah Amer, a Community Organiser from Gerimis Art Project, about what is happening on the ground, and what it reveals about the broader struggle for Orang Asli land rights in Malaysia.



Read more about the issue here and here.

Across Malaysia, questions about Orang Asli land rights have been back in the headlines, from the detention of villagers in Pahang over a land dispute, to communities facing displacement, environmental damage, and development carried out without meaningful consultation. One of the latest flashpoints is Pulau Carey in Selangor, where the Mah Meri community in Kampung Sungai Kurau says a proposed port expansion could threaten their fishing grounds, cultural heritage, and way of life. We speak with Lanuza Layon, Chairperson of the Kampung Sungai Kurau Village Development and Security Committee, and Sarah Amer, a Community Organiser from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.gerimisart.com/">Gerimis Art Project</a>, about what is happening on the ground, and what it reveals about the broader struggle for Orang Asli land rights in Malaysia.Read more about the issue <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-westport-expansion-save-the-mah-meri-of-pulau-carey">here</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/artivismforoa">here</a>.

Melaka Mega Reclamation: What’s at Stake?

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