Centering Indigenous Wisdom in Malaysia’s Climate Leadership

Picture: The Semai hill paddy planting season sees dibbling (making small holes in the ground for seeds) occur in August—September | Photo by Fikri Husin (Gerimis Art Project)

In an article by Macaranga, Loh Jing Rou argues that the focus on ‘new green growth’ means Malaysia is missing the opportunity to draw on the ancient ecological knowledge of indigenous communities.

For more than 18,000 years, indigenous communities across Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo—the Orang Asli and Orang Asal—have lived in harmony with their ecosystems, guided by the principle of “taking only what is needed”, an ethic that directly challenges the modern consumer-driven, extractive economic model.

However, as climate change intensifies, these communities find themselves on the frontlines—not just of ecological shifts, but of a continued struggle against the colonial legacies and state policies that have displaced them, undermined their sovereignty, and dismissed their knowledge systems.

If Malaysia is to craft an equitable and effective climate strategy, TEK must be central—not as an artifact of the past, but as a guiding force for the future.