CSOs march to Parliament, demand forest governance reforms under 13MP

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has urged the government to embed key forest governance reforms in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), warning that failure to do so could cost the country access to billions in international climate finance.

Led by Greenpeace International, around 20 individuals marched from Taman Tugu to Parliament this morning, where they submitted a five-point memorandum titled “March for the Forest: Securing Climate Finance in 13MP”.

“These reforms not only support the emerging Action Plan for Implementation for Forests under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but also strengthen Malaysia’s readiness to access long-term international funding through the proposed Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF),” said group spokesperson Tharma Pillai.

Tharma presented the memorandum to an officer from the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and Bakri MP Tan Hong Pin.

Among the five demands, the coalition called for a national forest audit and the publication of a “Protected Forest Registry” endorsed by all states.

It also proposed the establishment of a National Forest Monitoring Hub, leveraging satellite technology already used by the government and extending access to state authorities and civil society.

Direct funding

Kuasa Perak chairperson Siti Hawa Abdul Wahid highlighted another key demand – a direct access fund for indigenous people and local communities to apply for forest protection grants, bypassing traditional government agencies.

“Through our work on the ground with Orang Asli communities living in the jungles and fisherfolk relying on mangrove forests, we collected ample evidence on how direct funding is important to sustain their efforts to protect our forests,” she said.

The coalition further proposed the formation of a National Forest Finance Council under the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry or the Climate Action Council, tasked with overseeing transparent fund allocation and monitoring.

Join TFFF initiative

To bolster Malaysia’s international credibility, the group urged the government to publicly commit to joining the TFFF via a parliamentary motion or cabinet statement.

According to Greenpeace, the TFFF is a new multilateral initiative led by the Brazilian government, aimed at generating approximately US$4 billion (RM17 billion) annually to support over 70 tropical forest countries.

Signatories to the memorandum include Suaram, PSM, The Artivist Network, and RimbaWatch, among others.

The organisers are aiming to gather more endorsements ahead of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil in November.

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