PETALING JAYA: As Malaysians celebrate Malaysia Day today, environmental watchdog RimbaWatch has issued a stark warning – without urgent action, the country faces a future of rising heat, destructive floods and irreversible biodiversity loss.
Its director Adam Farhan said Malaysia needs a legislative overhaul to secure a climate-resilient and forest-protected future by 2035.
“Malaysia must legislate forest protection and emissions targets. The upcoming Climate Change Act should set a target to end all deforestation by 2026 and define a fair-share carbon budget aligned with the global 1.5°C pathway.
“Binding emissions targets for every sector and a commitment to phase out fossil fuel production and consumption are essential.”
Adam warned that if deforestation continues unchecked, the impacts will be severe and self-reinforcing.
“Rapid biodiversity loss will weaken forests’ ability to recover, creating a feedback loop that accelerates deforestation. Loss of forest cover will drive up local temperatures, harm human health and livelihoods and reduce Malaysia’s ability to adapt to rising heat.
“Changes in rainfall will bring drought to some regions and heavier floods and landslides to others.”
Malaysia has pledged under the Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use to halt forest loss by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
But Adam said these promises remain largely unmet.
“Deforestation continues and there has been no serious effort to cut emissions from the biggest polluter – fossil fuels. Instead, the country relies on false solutions such as carbon offsets and carbon capture, which perpetuate emissions and spread climate misinformation.”
He added that Malaysia must also tighten its legal definition of deforestation to cover all clearance or disturbance of natural forest.
“This would close loopholes that allow damaging activities under the guise of development.”
As Malaysians reflect on unity this Malaysia Day, Adam urged citizens to play their part.
“One of our roles as the rakyat is to hold the state and corporations accountable. Do not blindly accept what politicians or corporations claim they are doing to protect the environment.
“Greenwashing remains pervasive. Public pressure and putting people before profit – that is our only path to solving the climate crisis.”
Adam said without decisive action, Malaysia’s climate future will be far hotter, harsher and harder to survive.
Adding to the warning, WWF-Malaysia senior conservation director Dr Henry Chan outlined the threats biodiversity faces if warming and deforestation persist.
“Extreme heat and drought will stress rainforests and peat swamps, increasing fire risk and reducing food sources for wildlife.
“Intense rainfall will trigger erosion, landslides and sedimentation, threatening freshwater ecosystems.
“Rising temperatures in highland habitats will disrupt fragile ecosystems, shift species composition and drive local extinction.
“Meanwhile, ocean warming and acidification will cause more coral bleaching, undermining coastal fisheries and food security.
“Sea-level rise and stronger storms will threaten mangroves, turtle nesting beaches and coastal villages.”
Despite the grim outlook, Chan pointed to successful restoration work as proof that recovery is possible.
At Bukit Piton in Sabah, WWF-Malaysia and the Forestry Department began restoring 2,400ha of degraded forest in 2007.
By 2019, more than 300,000 trees had been planted, and orangutans were observed nesting and feeding in the revived area.
“These examples show that with sustained effort, forests and wildlife can rebound,” Chan said, adding that long-term commitment from both government and the public is crucial to safeguarding Malaysia’s natural heritage.
