The Penan communities from Upper Baram have sent in an official proposal for a  „Community Managed Protected Area in the Upper Baram“ to the government. In the letter, they invite the representatives to visit the area. The official proposal follows a meeting between the Sarawak Forest Department and Penan representatives in February in Miri where […]

FINMA CEO Mark Branson highlights money-laundering risks with Malaysia deals at annual media conference “A number of Swiss banks are involved in both the corruption scandal surrounding Brazil’s Petrobras and the suspicious cash flows linked to the Malaysian sovereign fund 1MDB. FINMA has carried out investigations into more than 20 banks in connection with these

KOTA KINABALU: Villagers impacted by the proposed Kaiduan Dam must be consulted and collectively give the nod before researchers are allowed access to carry out a Social Impact Assessment (SIA), the Task Force Against Kaiduan Dam (TAKaD) said today. The movement’s chairman Nousi Giun said if villagers decide that they do not wish to allow researchers from the

The unanticipated decision by Sarawak State Chief Minister to revoke the gazettement for land earmarked for the Baram dam site and reservoir has been commended by indigenous leaders around the world. “The decision to halt the construction of the Baram dam is timely with the mounting evidence that the unpredictable and extreme weather caused by climate change would further

ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. The University of Adelaide and the Art Gallery of South Australia are ignoring calls to restitute controversial gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars received from Taib Mahmud, a controversial Malaysian politician. According to Channel Seven’s Today Tonight show, both institutions refused to be interviewed on a request by indigenous leaders from

MIRI – There is an atmosphere of triumph and jubilation among villagers of Baram after the land reserved for the Baram dam and the reservoir was returned to them. But there is also sense of cautions. Following the news that the gazettes which extinguished the rights of ownership on their land have now been withdrawn, the

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) lauds the Sarawak State Government for heeding the calls to revoke the extinguishment of the native customary rights (NCR) of between 26 and 30 villages affected by the Baram Dam, located between Long Na’ah and Long Kesseh. SAM also commends the affected communities in Baram for steadfastly making their concerns heard

Kota Kinabalu – Mediation by the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, resulted in the amicable settlement of a 15-year dispute with over 115 trial days between NCR-holders in Tongod on one side and large corporations and the Sabah government on the other. Justice Douglas Primus of the Kota Kinabalu High Court today issued

MIRI – For the coming Sarawak state election, endorsement and support is promised for electoral candidates and political parties who embrace the manifesto on substantive issues crucial to the life of ordinary Sarawakians and to the environment. Aiming at dealing with practical issues crucial to the life of ordinary Sarawakians and to the environment, a coalition

(KUCHING, SARAWAK / MALAYSIA) It is a great victory for the indigenous peoples of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo: Today, it became public that the State Government under Chief Minister Adenan Satem has officially cancelled the plans for the construction of a controversial mega dam on the Baram river. In a letter to Harrison Ngau, legal

MIRI – The struggle by the Baram villagers in resisting the proposed Baram dam has finally paid off. The gazette extinguishing the native rights of ownership for the land earmarked for the dam site and its reservoir has been officially revoked. The lawyer for the Baram villagers, Mr. Harrison Ngau was being notified of the revocation

The home of the world’s remaining forests, the planet’s biodiversity and rivers are in indigenous peoples’ territories. However, rampant large-scale development projects without regard to the environment and the indigenous peoples inhabiting these, are threatening to wipe out population and extract resources. In order to address climate change, combat deforestation and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Asia Indigenous

KUCHING: Many thousands of Dayak in Sarawak are finishing the annual rice harvest now, traditionally central to the calendar. However, what was once a strenuous but ultimately rewarding time of year, culturally and socially, is now indicative of a new cycle as the Dayak increasingly switch from padi to oil palm; a move that reflects

Media Statement by Tony Pua, DAP National Publicity Secretary and Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 15 March 2016: Felda Global Venture must end its value destroying acquisition spree which smacks of utter recklessness and sheer incompetence Felda Global Venture Holdings Bhd (FGVH) has been the undisputed worst plantation

Malaysian timber group accused of boycotting local sawmill industry – Complaint lodged against Samling’s Hikurangi Forest Farms over alleged breaches of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) standards GISBORNE, NEW ZEALAND. Local stakeholders in the East Coast region of New Zealand’s North Island have lodged a complaint against the Malaysian Samling Group with the Forest Stewardship Council