Shaping greener future for oil palm, wildlife to thrive

The Star

28-05-2025

AN INNOVATIVE roadshow, 'Jelajah Sawit Hijau' kicked off its nationwide campaign in Alor Setar, Kedah, blending sustainability, science and storytelling to promote a green cause.
Held at Aman Central Mall, the event to raise awareness about responsible oil palm cultivation and wildlife conservation drew thousands with its interactive exhibits, educational booths and entertainment.
Organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) with support from Star Media Group, its radio arm Suria FM and digital portal Majoriti, the roadshow aimed to connect Malaysians with pressing environmental issues in fun, meaningful ways.
MPOGCF general manager Hairulazim Mahmud said the event was part of the foundation's mission to create a vibrant and interactive platform for audiences to learn and connect with conservation initiatives.
DJ Lin (second from left), along with several Suria FM DJs and a representative from MPOGCF presenting prizes to winners of a colouring contest at the roadshow.
'We aim to be the leading foundation in green conservation and sustainability, with a vision of green conservation for a sustainable future.
'Our objectives include supporting reforestation efforts in degraded areas across the country, promoting research on the effectiveness of endangered wildlife and biodiversity conservation initiatives as well as assisting non-governmental organisations in securing funding for related activities.
'We also aim to advance the best sustainability practices and conservation efforts, particularly within oil palm plantations, while enhancing biodiversity, environmental conservation and sustainability efforts to benefit both palm oil producers and consumers,' he said.
Hairulazim said the foundation was working with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to protect Malayan tigers, which population has drastically declined due to habitat loss.
'Compared to an estimated 3,000 of them in the 1950s, there are between 150 and 200 of them left in the wild.'
He said they had allocated RM3.18mil since 2021 for efforts to protect the Malayan tigers with Perhilitan.
The Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME), a research group dedicated to the conservation of elephants in Malaysia founded in 2011, was among the exhibitors at the roadshow.
Dr Wong (left) with visitors at a booth displaying elephant-themed merchandise at the roadshow held at Aman Central Mall in Kedah.
MEME principal investigator Dr Wong Ee Phin said the group's goal was to apply scientific research to develop evidence- based strategies for conserving Asian elephants in peninsular Malaysia.
'Our specific objectives are to work with agricultural communities at varying scales, from large plantations to villages, to co-design human-elephant conflict management and coexistence strategies.
'Elephants once roamed throughout Malaysia but their habitat has significantly declined, confining them now to just a few states, namely Kedah, Perak, Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Sabah.
'Without scientific research, it would be challenging to track and evaluate conservation efforts,' said Dr Wong, an associate professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia with almost 20 years of experience in wildlife conservation.
She said research on elephants included tracking their movements in the wild to support future development planning and to reduce the risk of encroachment into agricultural areas.
'Elephants are herbivores, and because of their large size, they require a substantial amount of food,' she explained.
'We are working closely with the agriculture sector to develop best practices that allow for coexistence with elephants.
'To date, over 50 sets of GPS collars have been put on elephants to monitor their movements and study their migration patterns in the jungle.
'Our findings show that elephants follow specific ecological paths, some of which have been disrupted by development.
'Around 80% of the elephants were found to cross roads at night,' she added.
Mavis Ooi, seven, (left) and Migina Ooi, five, holding camera devices used to obtain critical data about wildlife and their habitats.
Following that, the Forestry Department is now developing plans to identify and preserve critical paths and corridors used by elephants, said Dr Wong.
Another exhibitor at the roadshow was the Barn Owl and Rodent Research Group (BORG) from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Established in 2014, the group led by coordinator Dr Hasber Salim is dedicated to the conservation of barn owls in Malaysia.
Their mission includes raising public awareness of the barn owl's role as a natural and effective biological control agent against rats, to support sustainable pest management in both agricultural and urban environments.
BORG's research projects focus on the translocation and establishment of barn owl populations.
Its studies have also found that barn owls have an exclusive appetite for rodents, with rats comprising 99% of their food intake.
Since the 1980s, barn owls have played a significant role in integrated pest management strategies, particularly in the sustainable control of rat populations in Malaysia's oil palm plantations, before the practice was later extended to Borneo.
Barn owls have a lifespan of under five years in the wild and over 20 years in captivity, and are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
At the roadshow, visitors also participated in a range of interactive activities such as quizzes and games that deepened their understanding of the campaign's causes.
Many took home merchandise such as shirts, tumblers, tote bags and fridge magnets as tokens of appreciation for donations made to MPOGCF at the event.
Artistes like Aisha Retno, Soo Wincci, Ara Johari and Lan Solo kept visitors entertained throughout the event.
Also present were Suria FM general manager Roslinda Abdul Majid, better known as DJ Lin, as well as the radio station's presenters Afiq, Awien, Chiwan, Kai and Irsyad.
The next roadshows will be held in Terengganu on Aug 16, and Johor on Nov 15, before closing in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 22.