Panda News :
April to June 2022
Webinar: Where is the Nation Now and Where Is It Going?
Let's hear from our speakers from the Ministry of Education, the United Nations, and more on how to build a better future for our environmental education.
WWF-Malaysia celebrates young Eco Champions
For many years we have created awareness and advocated for young leaders to become sustainability champions. By preparing young people with skills, knowledge, and confidence in their abilities, we will create a generation of empowered youth that support long-term sustainable development. We initiated the Eco Champion Awards to celebrate inspiring young Malaysians' outstanding commitment to conserving the natural environment.
This year, from tree planting with B40 kids, river cleaning, tackling food waste issues, and empowering communities to recycle, the champions went beyond the boundaries to make a massive impact on sustainability. An award giving ceremony was held to acknowledge their hard work. We hope their steps will be an example to other youth out there. Listen to what they have to say here. Read the article on Malaysiakini and the Malaysian Reserve.
SCP running to the finishing line of FY22
In the last leg of FY22, Sarawak Conservation Programme was in marathon mode to finish its work plan with back-to-back activities, especially in June. Some of the notable activities and conservation wins were:
1. Awareness programme on mangroves and dolphin conservation for school children and community in Belawai from 21 to 22 May 2022.
Session with students from SK Abang Gesa.
© Ezen Chan/WWF-Malaysia
© Ezen Chan/WWF-Malaysia
Communities comprising fishers and homemakers learned more about the importance of dolphin and mangrove conservation through games.
Colleagues from WWF-Singapore presenting prizes to the winners.
© Ezen Chan/WWF-Malaysia
2. Launching of Sentencing Guidelines for Wildlife Crimes in Sarawak on 17 June 2022: It was an initiative by the Sarawak High Court through its Sarawak Working Group on Environment (SWGE), in partnership with WWF-Malaysia. The document marks significant progress in Sarawak’s endeavour - to fight wildlife crimes.
Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, The Right Honourable Tan Sri Dato' Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim receiving a copy of the “Sentencing Guidelines for Wildlife Crimes in Sarawak” from Conservation Director of WWF-Malaysia, Dr Henry Chan.
© Ezen Chan/WWF-Malaysia
© Ezen Chan/WWF-Malaysia
Group photo in front of the Kuching Court Complex.
3. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing with Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) on 28 June 2022: FDS and WWF-Malaysia inked a five-year collaboration that will assist the Sarawak Government in achieving its conservation goals and objectives, which is to strengthen the environmental protection and management in priority conservation areas in the state.
© Ezen Chan/WWF-Malaysia
MoU signing by Forest Department Director Datu Hamden bin Haji Muhammad and WWF-Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Sophia Lim, witnessed by Forest Department Sarawak Deputy Director Jack Liam and WWF-Malaysia Conservation Director Dr Henry Chan.
© Ezen Chan/WWF-Malaysia
Group photo with Premier Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg (fifth left), Datu Hamden (sixth left), and other signatories of MoUs. At far right is Sophia Lim, CEO WWF-Malaysia.
4. WWF-Malaysia held and facilitated a High Conservation Values (HCVs) Concept Sharing and Community Dialogue with Ahli Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Ladang SALCRA (AJPLS) with the objectives of sharing and exposing the HCV concept to landowner in Lemanak oil palm estate. The dialogue session, from 25 to 27 June 2022, was also an opportunity to get feedback from landowners on the rehabilitation project plan. It was attended by 27 head headmen from Lemanak and 13 officers from Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA).
© Nur Efarina Jali/WWF-Malaysia
Participants learned how camera traps are installed and used.
5. For the first time in the programme, the Wildlife Conservation team captured on camera traps - an otter civet, smooth-coated otter, Malay weasel and white-crowned hornbill! The sighting of these species brought much excitement to the team as they are indeed rare in Borneo.
A pack of smooth-coated otters captured on camera traps by Sarawak team.
Marine Programme Happenings
To celebrate World Sea Turtle Day, WWF-Malaysia joined hands with local partners and community members in events at two priority sites. In Padang Kemunting, Melaka, a beach cleanup was carried out as part of SWCorp’s campaign on waste reduction on beaches. We also celebrated the newly-launched community recycling centre in collaboration with Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Penyelarasan Dewan Undangan Negeri Tanjung Bidara and Jawatankuasa Pembangunan dan Keselamatan Kampung Padang Kemunting.
In Terengganu, 30 students from local institutes of higher learning participated in the Terengganu Turtle Camp 2022, a triumphant success especially because this year’s camp holds a special place in light of the amendment to the Terengganu Turtle Enactment, which includes a ban on the sale of eggs of all turtle species.
At other events, WWF-Malaysia initiated a collaboration with UCSI University to develop an innovative insect meal aquaculture feed formulation while creating buy-in within the industry. We aim to address the urgent need for alternative protein sources for fish feed which are sustainable, cost-effective and high performing compared with current feed options that rely on wild fish resources especially trash fish.
Finally, we celebrated the sixth anniversary of Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) at an event hosted by the lead agency, Sabah Parks. WWF-Malaysia’s collaboration with Sabah Parks expands continuously as we launched a new coral restoration programme in TMP funded by the European Union to further safeguard and restore its wonderful marine environment.
On a campaign front, 2022 is the second year in which WWF-Malaysia executed a food waste reduction social media campaign during Ramadan. In collaboration with like-minded organisations and individuals, we applied a behaviour change approach, including carrying out assessments of campaign impacts. Carried out under the name #ISayangMyFood this year, the campaign's primary aim was to educate targeted consumers by demonstrating simple behaviours to prevent food waste in their homes.
This June also brought the second instalment of Monday Blues, a virtual series held in conjunction with World Oceans Day, World Reef Day, Coral Triangle Day, and World Sea Turtle Day. Monday Blues 2022 focused on raising awareness in marine conservation and highlighting the important work that organisations/communities have been doing. We were honoured to have friends from Sabah Parks, Borneo Marine Research Institute (Universiti Malaysia Sabah), and Department of Fisheries Terengganu join us for our sessions to share their valuable insights.
For those who missed it, you can watch our three Monday Blues 2022 sessions here:
What about Marine Protected Areas?