Every year, hundreds of young Southern River Terrapins are returned to the Kemaman River, but releasing hatchlings is just one part of the work needed to bring an endangered species back. We catch up with Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia, on what the latest research is telling us, the threats facing terrapins, the role of local communities, and what’s in store for this year’s Annual Terrapin Release.

Image Credit: Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia

Every year, hundreds of young Southern River Terrapins are returned to the Kemaman River, but releasing hatchlings is just one part of the work needed to bring an endangered species back. We catch up with Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.turtleconservationsociety.org.my/">Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia</a>, on what the latest research is telling us, the threats facing terrapins, the role of local communities, and what’s in store for this year’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DdvEJ0UCcWi/?img_index=1">Annual Terrapin Release</a>.Image Credit: Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia

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

What Does It Take to Save Malaysia's Endangered Terrapins? 

Our forests are full of stories, but it takes a certain kind of storyteller to bring them to life. For independent filmmaker Myles Storey, that means looking beyond the animals themselves, to the landscapes they live in, the people who share those spaces, and the connections between them. Since we last spoke in 2023, Myles has been exploring some wonderfully different ways of telling nature stories. He’s followed endangered species, wild gibbons and even imagined what it might be like to see the world through the eyes of a sticky frog. He has also turned his camera towards the Nakawan Range in Perlis, and his latest documentary, NAKAWAN: The Living Soul of Perlis, explores the biodiversity, culture and communities of this remarkable landscape. We catch up with Myles about his life as a filmmaker, the stories he’s been telling, and what spending so much time in the natural world has taught him along the way. 

Our forests are full of stories, but it takes a certain kind of storyteller to bring them to life. For independent filmmaker <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/mylespstorey/">Myles Storey</a>, that means looking beyond the animals themselves, to the landscapes they live in, the people who share those spaces, and the connections between them. Since we last spoke in 2023, Myles has been exploring some wonderfully different ways of telling nature stories. He’s followed endangered species, wild gibbons and even imagined what it might be like to see the world through the eyes of a sticky frog. He has also turned his camera towards the Nakawan Range in Perlis, and his latest documentary, NAKAWAN: The Living Soul of Perlis, explores the biodiversity, culture and communities of this remarkable landscape. We catch up with Myles about his life as a filmmaker, the stories he’s been telling, and what spending so much time in the natural world has taught him along the way.&nbsp;

Telling Stories About Malaysia’s Wild Places

Malaysia’s Budget 2027 includes funding for biodiversity conservation, community rangers and green initiatives, alongside measures to address issues such as flooding and water security. The government has also increased the allocation for the Ecological Fiscal Transfer, which provides funding to state governments to support conservation efforts. But WWF-Malaysia had called for a much bigger investment in nature ahead of the budget, including RM1 billion for the Ecological Fiscal Transfer, dedicated funding for nature-based solutions, and a commitment to spend at least 1% of the national budget on nature and biodiversity. So, how do the measures announced compare with what’s needed to protect Malaysia’s natural environment? Are we investing enough in conservation, and what more could be done to ensure nature is properly accounted for in the country’s development plans? To help us unpack this, we speak to Dr Jason Hon, Director of Conservation at WWF-Malaysia.

Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Malaysia’s Budget 2027 includes funding for biodiversity conservation, community rangers and green initiatives, alongside measures to address issues such as flooding and water security. The government has also increased the allocation for the Ecological Fiscal Transfer, which provides funding to state governments to support conservation efforts. But WWF-Malaysia had called for a much bigger investment in nature ahead of the budget, including RM1 billion for the Ecological Fiscal Transfer, dedicated funding for nature-based solutions, and a commitment to spend at least 1% of the national budget on nature and biodiversity. So, how do the measures announced compare with what’s needed to protect Malaysia’s natural environment? Are we investing enough in conservation, and what more could be done to ensure nature is properly accounted for in the country’s development plans? To help us unpack this, we speak to Dr Jason Hon, Director of Conservation at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.wwf.org.my/">WWF-Malaysia</a>.Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.Image Credit: Shutterstock

Budget 2027: Is Malaysia Investing Enough in Nature? 

Climate change is often described as a gradual process, but there are points where a system can change much more rapidly, and potentially in ways that are difficult or impossible to reverse. These are what scientists call tipping points. They can happen in the climate and natural world, but they can also affect food systems, economies and, ultimately, human health. While we often hear about the risks of crossing these thresholds, there is another side to the idea: positive tipping points, where changes in technology, policy or behaviour can gather momentum and accelerate. So what exactly is a tipping point, how close are we to some of them, and what can we actually do to influence the direction we're heading in? To explore these questions, we speak to Professor Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University, and Co-Chair of the Global Tipping Points Conference 2026.

Climate change is often described as a gradual process, but there are points where a system can change much more rapidly, and potentially in ways that are difficult or impossible to reverse. These are what scientists call tipping points. They can happen in the climate and natural world, but they can also affect food systems, economies and, ultimately, human health. While we often hear about the risks of crossing these thresholds, there is another side to the idea: positive tipping points, where changes in technology, policy or behaviour can gather momentum and accelerate. So what exactly is a tipping point, how close are we to some of them, and what can we actually do to influence the direction we're heading in? To explore these questions, we speak to Professor Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://sunwayuniversity.edu.my/research/planetaryhealth">Sunway Centre for Planetary Health</a> at Sunway University, and Co-Chair of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sunwayplanetaryhealth.com.my/events/gtp-2026/about">Global Tipping Points Conference 2026</a>.

What Does It Take to Save Malaysia's Endangered Terrapins?

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