Civil Societies demand real funding, real protection, and real accountability for forests in 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13)
Kuala Lumpur, 5 August 2025 — Malaysia stands to lose potentially billions in forest finance, a coalition of civil society organisations led by Greenpeace Malaysia warn during a peaceful march to Parliament to deliver a memorandum of demands for the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13).
The memorandum delivered ahead of International Indigenous Peoples Day (9 August), calls for bold commitments in RMK13, outlining five actionable steps to urgently close policy gaps in forest governance and uphold Indigenous rights. Without these reforms, Malaysia could risk jeopardising its chances of accessing long-term international climate funding under the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) mechanism, set to officially launch at the COP30 climate summit this November.
Five Key Demands:
- A unified forest map and Protected Forest Registry agreed to by all states;
- A satellite-based National Forest Monitoring Hub with civil society access;
- Direct Access Fund for Indigenous Peoples and local communities;
- Transparent oversight mechanism for forest finance under existing government structures; and
- A clear public commitment for Malaysia to join the TFFF.
These five demands align the three foundational pillars guiding RMK13, namely good governance, economic resilience through diversification, as well as inclusive and responsive development.
The march from Taman Tugu to Parliament, symbolises a broader call for justice, recognition, and climate accountability. Indigenous communities, who have long defended Malaysia’s forests, remain largely excluded from national policy-making, despite being on the frontlines of conservation.
Among the Members of Parliament and Ministers who received the memorandum includes Bakri MP Tan Hong Pin, Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin’s representative, and a representative from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES). Greenpeace Malaysia is also scheduled to meet the acting NRES minister and Plantation Industries and Commodities of Malaysia Minister Johari Abdul Ghani to handover the memorandum.
Greenpeace Malaysia Forest Finance Senior Campaign Consultant Tharma Pillai said:
“This is not just about securing funding. It is about demonstrating Malaysia’s credibility as a climate leader that protects forests and the frontliners who have safeguarded them for generations. With COP30 approaching, RMK13 is an opportunity to show that economic development, environmental responsibility, and Indigenous inclusion can go hand in hand, when backed by real accountability and transparency in forest governance.”
Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam – KUASA Perak president Siti Hawa Abd Wahid said:
“The concern with conservation is we don’t have enough funding to protect forests and our forest frontliners, but there are plenty of opportunities out there, what we need is a proactive government looking for funding – we need to be proactive.
Temuan Orang Asli Activist and Artist Shaq Koyok said:
“As a representative of the Indigenous community, I want to stress that we need meaningful financial support to protect our forests. We need to establish independent bodies that can contribute to forest monitoring, and we need secure, long-term funding that makes our work more efficient. Tangible, direct support is essential — not just promises — if we are serious about protecting the forests we depend on.”
Participating CSOs of the memorandum handover are Greenpeace Malaysia, SAVE Rivers, Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (KUASA), RimbaWatch, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim (JEDI), Kolektif Iklim, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Youths United For Earth (YUFE) and The Artivist Network.
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