We already know that our rainforest is more than green scenery. It regulates our climate, shelters biodiversity, and holds deep cultural meaning. Yet today, Malaysia’s rainforests face relentless pressure from the expansion of palm oil plantations and logging, and the evidence is overwhelming.
Malaysia recorded 307,681 deforestation alerts in just one week from May 31 to June 7 this year. Each figure is not just a number. It represents trees felled, ecosystems disrupted, and carbon released into the atmosphere. This is no longer an abstract statistic. It is a warning that environmental neglect carries real and measurable consequences.
The collapse of a major road in Bangkok yesterday, caused by underground works weakening the ground, is a stark reminder of nature’s fragility when pushed too far. While Malaysia’s deforestation may not cause sinkholes overnight, it sets in motion a slower but equally destructive collapse that threatens forests, wildlife, and ultimately people.
How long can we celebrate short-term economic gains while ignoring the quiet collapse of our forests? Will it take the last tree falling, the final river drying, or the last tiger’s disappearance before we awaken to what we have lost?
Policy Promises and the Realities
Malaysia’s forest governance is under international scrutiny with the introduction of the European Union Deforestation Free Regulation. On paper, this regulation should encourage stricter sustainability practices by requiring proof that commodities such as palm oil are not linked to deforestation. Yet reality paints a different picture. Satellite images and NGO reports continue to reveal forest clearings, even in areas supposedly designated as “protected”.
The dilemma lies in economic dependency. Palm oil remains the backbone of Malaysia’s economy, supporting rural livelihoods and state revenues. Leaders face pressure to open new plantations or reclassify forests as agricultural land. This tug of war between environmental duty and economic survival has led to weak enforcement and loopholes. Forests shrink while official speeches insist otherwise.
Even Parliament reflects this tension. On 14 November 2024, Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Chan Foong Hin declared that no deforestation is permitted for new palm plantations after 1 January 2020. Yet data show forest canopies retreat weekly, exposing the gap between rhetoric and reality.
Policy gaps are not abstract failures. They translate directly into ecological realities. Deforestation destroys habitats and forces animals into human spaces. As conservationist Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj highlighted at PRAXIS 2024, fragmented forests drive wildlife beyond their ranges, often putting them in conflict with humans they perceive as threats. Animals once fearful of humans now linger by roadsides in search of food and space.
Palm oil expansion, logging, and infrastructure projects may benefit the economy, but when pursued excessively, the costs are devastating. With fewer than 150 Malayan tigers left and fewer than 1,000 Borneo pygmy elephants, Malaysia stands on the brink of losing some of its most iconic species. Each disappearance pushes us closer to the point of no return.
The consequences extend to the climate as well. In Sabah and Sarawak, draining and burning peatlands release massive carbon stores, fueling heatwaves and exacerbating erratic weather patterns. Between 2001 and 2020, Malaysia lost approximately 2.7 million hectares of tree cover, including much of its centuries-old primary forest.
But this is not just an environmental crisis. It is also a human one. A 2021 study in Nature Communications linked tropical deforestation to higher dengue and malaria cases, as degraded forests create mosquito-friendly conditions. Environmental neglect is also a public health time bomb.
The burden falls heaviest on indigenous communities, especially the Orang Asli and Dayak, whose ancestral lands are cleared or taken in the name of progress. This persists despite Malaysia’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Their voices remind us that deforestation is not only an ecological tragedy but also a human rights violation.
The Way Forward
Malaysia now stands at a critical crossroads. It is one of the world’s leading palm oil producers and a global biodiversity hotspot, but these two roles are colliding.
The way forward requires urgent reforms. First, transparency must become the norm. Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil audits should be geotagged and made publicly available to rebuild global trust. Certification bodies and government agencies must lead in ensuring that environmental data is accurate and accessible.
Second, rainforests rich in biodiversity, particularly in Sarawak, should be designated as permanent no logging zones. Wildlife corridors must be established to connect fragmented habitats, safeguarding tigers, elephants, and orangutans. Local communities should be empowered and adequately funded to participate in protection and monitoring efforts.
Third, Malaysia must modernise its environmental reporting systems. Compiling and submitting accurate deforestation records to the European Union should begin immediately. This is not only about compliance. It is about credibility in the global marketplace.
Finally, conservation financing models must be embraced. Brazil’s Tropical Forest Forever Facility, which rewards communities and governments for preserving forests through long-term funding, offers a blueprint. A Malaysian version could channel international support into indigenous communities, state governments, and conservation groups, turning guardians of the forest into beneficiaries of its survival.
Malaysia’s forests are at a tipping point, caught between the pursuit of rapid economic growth and the duty to preserve natural heritage. Policymakers must enforce transparent laws and safeguard critical habitats. Citizens must demand accountability and make sustainable choices.
The world is watching. Malaysia must decide whether it will be remembered as a nation that stood by while its rainforests vanished or as one that fought with courage to keep them standing. If Malaysia loses its forests, it loses its soul.
This article was produced with support from the Pulitzer Center.
Co-writer: Syazah Wardina, Putri Nur Gustawina, Haikal Yuri, Raihanah Reduan
