Environment across Malaysia
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Western Singapore islands to be reclaimed, Orang Pulau heritage at risk
Reclamation of several islands in Singapore's western waters into one larger island threatens the history and heritage of the Orang Pulau and Orang Laut communities. Former residents and experts are urging that history and biodiversity be documented before development works begin.
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Former Pulau Semakau resident fears development will harm marine beauty
A former resident of Pulau Semakau, Mohamad Yusof Tisari, has voiced concern that the island's natural beauty and marine life will be affected by a development project announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Having moved from Pulau Bukom to Pulau Semakau as a child, he describes the situation as deja vu and misses the island's tranquillity.
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1,500 join World Orangutan Day Fun Walk at Putrajaya Botanical Garden
More than 1,500 participants took part in the World Orangutan Day 2026 celebration at Taman Botani Putrajaya, organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) and launched by Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad. The main event was a 10km, 5km and 3km Fun Walk, with all entry fees channelled to the MPOGCF Conservation Fund for the Orang Utan Diplomacy (OUDip) programme.
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Teach disaster preparedness from young, says Mustapha
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said safety and disaster preparedness education should start at a young age. He spoke at the closing of the Kampung Siaga 221 programme at Kampung Kokol, Manggatal, on Saturday. The Sabah Civil Defence director said the programme, the third this year, will continue annually.
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Dead fish wash up along Sarawak River near Kuching Waterfront
Large numbers of dead fish were found along the Sarawak River near the Kuching Waterfront and Kampung Gersik-Boyan on Saturday morning. The Sarawak Agriculture Department collected water and fish samples for laboratory analysis, with low oxygen levels among the possible causes being examined.
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Serian API hits 236, very unhealthy level
The Serian District Police Headquarters area in Sarawak recorded an API reading of 236 as of 4pm, a very unhealthy level. Four other Sarawak areas were also unhealthy: Sri Aman 199, Samarahan 179, Kuching 174 and Sarikei 115. Another 50 areas nationwide were at moderate levels.
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Universiti Malaya researchers turn prawn shells into biodegradable plastic film
Researchers at Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Engineering have converted discarded prawn shells into chitosan, a natural biopolymer, and used it with starch to produce biodegradable plastic films. In soil burial tests, the films began visibly degrading after three weeks and had substantially broken down by the fourth. The work links two Malaysian waste problems - food waste and plastic waste - but the material is still far from commercial use.
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Indonesia seeks return of five orangutan infants from India
Five orangutan infants were found without their mother in a forest in Balasore, Odisha, India, and are now being cared for at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. Indonesia is working to repatriate the animals, believed to be from Sumatra, while DNA tests will confirm their origin.
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Haze forces Kuching tourists to cut back outdoor plans
Haze over Kuching is disrupting tourists' itineraries, with poor visibility forcing visitors to drop outdoor activities such as jogging and sunset-watching at Santubong Beach. Visitors from Johor Bahru, Pahang and Italy described mixed experiences, with one reporting a sore throat. Most said they would still return to Kuching once the haze clears.
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Malayan tapir dies after being hit by car near Terachi
A 250kg male Malayan tapir was struck by a car at Km24 of Jalan Seremban-Kuala Pilah near the Terachi police station late last night. It suffered a broken front leg and internal injuries, and was confirmed dead this morning. The carcass was taken to the Jempol Perhilitan office for disposal under standard procedures.
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Magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes near Jakarta, tremors felt across Java and Sumatra
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck near Jakarta's Thousand Islands early Saturday, with tremors felt in the Indonesian capital and parts of Java and Sumatra. The epicentre was in the Java Sea, 69 kilometres northeast of the Thousand Islands, at a depth of 368 kilometres, and no tsunami threat was reported. Commuter Line services on several routes were suspended for track inspections before resuming.
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Wild elephant 'Awang Kolam' captured in Kampung Kolam, Hulu Terengganu
A male elephant that went viral on social media after wandering into Kampung Kolam in Ajil, Hulu Terengganu, was captured by the Terengganu Wildlife and National Parks Department last Thursday. The department is now preparing to relocate the elephant away from the village.
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Serian API hits 258, eight other Sarawak areas unhealthy
Sarawak recorded the country's highest Air Pollutant Index readings, with Serian at 258 or very unhealthy as of 8am. Eight other Sarawak areas were unhealthy including Sri Aman, Samarahan and Kuching, while 45 areas nationwide were moderate. MetMalaysia issued thunderstorm, heavy rain and strong wind warnings for several states until 10am.
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Sarawak youths hand haze memo to Indonesian consulate in Kuching
Two Sarawakian youths submitted a memorandum to the Indonesian Consulate-General in Kuching on Friday, seeking information on transboundary haze from Kalimantan fires. The consulate said Indonesia has deployed 43,951 personnel and 55 aircraft to fight fires in six priority provinces, with 77,080 hectares extinguished as of Sept 10.
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Landslide at Jalan Sultan Hj Ahmad Shah near Tanah Rata closes road; flash flood in Brinchang
A landslide occurred at Section 1.4 of Jalan Sultan Hj Ahmad Shah near Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands this afternoon, forcing a temporary road closure for cleaning works. A flash flood at Golden Hill Housing Estate in Brinchang affected three houses and seven vehicles. No injuries were reported.
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JAS monitors peat and landfill fires in Sarawak and Johor
The Department of Environment is paying special attention to peat and landfill fires in Sarawak and Johor amid hot, dry weather. In Sarikei, the Selalang landfill fire covers 1.5 hectares with 67 per cent extinguished, while in Kota Tinggi peat fires cover 17 hectares and 10.12 hectares. JAS is monitoring air quality and urging the public against open burning.
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Tanah Rata hit by flash floods after three hours of heavy rain
Flash floods struck several areas in Tanah Rata, Pahang, after almost three hours of heavy rain this afternoon, affecting five to six houses at the Golden Hills housing estate and near the Mardi agro technology park. A minor landslide was also reported along Jalan Tengkolok. No injuries were reported, and assemblyman Ho Chi Yang said he will discuss assistance for affected families and measures to clear clogged drains and rivers.
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Magnitude 6.0 quake shakes Banda Sea, felt across Maluku
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Banda Sea in eastern Indonesia on Friday night, with the epicentre 162 kilometres northeast of Southwest Maluku at a depth of 148 kilometres. Indonesia's BMKG said strong shaking was felt in Amahai, Damer and the Babar Islands, and there is no tsunami potential. No aftershocks had been recorded as of 7.15pm.
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Indonesia drought seen lasting to end-September, over 5,000 hotspots
Indonesia expects extreme drought to persist until the end of September, with more than 5,000 hotspots nationwide. Rainfall in major palm oil areas such as Sumatra and Kalimantan has been only a fifth of normal, raising water shortage and crop failure risks and complicating fire and haze response.
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Nepal puts flood reconstruction bill at $4.78 billion
Nepal estimates reconstruction after last month's glacial flood will cost $4.78 billion, its foreign ministry said. The August 26 disaster that began on the China-Nepal border killed more than 1,400 people and left some 5,600 missing, with rescue efforts still ongoing in swamped hydropower tunnels.
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Anak Krakatau stays at Level III, public told to keep 3km from crater
Indonesia's disaster agency BNPB says Mount Anak Krakatau remains at Alert Level III with a high chance of further eruptions. A 25-hour eruption that began September 4 has ended, but 14 eruptions were recorded by Friday morning and the volcano is in an episodic Strombolian phase. Residents, tourists and hikers are barred from within 3km of the active crater.
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Flash flood hits National Zoo in Ulu Klang, animals safe
Heavy rain in the Klang Valley caused Sungai Pandan and Sungai Kemensah to overflow, sending floodwater up to 1.2 metres into parts of the National Zoo in Ulu Klang. Deputy president Datuk Rosli Lana confirmed no animals were injured or killed, and rejected claims the management was slow to act.
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NParks removes six unhealthy tembusu trees at MacRitchie Reservoir Park
Six tembusu trees at MacRitchie Reservoir Park were removed by NParks on Sept 2 after inspections found them unhealthy, with decay and structural defects. The removals came to light after a Nature Society Singapore forum member posted photos of the stumps near the Paddle Lodge. NParks says native species will be planted to replace the trees.
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Sarawak unveils 2026-2035 bioeconomy roadmap at Kuching conference
Sarawak is turning its biodiversity into a source of research and commercial value through a new bioeconomy and biotechnology roadmap. Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg announced the 2026-2035 plan, drawn up with BioVerde Technologies, at the SHInE International Conference 2026 in Kuching. He said the state wants to move from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy and is open to research collaboration with Indonesia in Kalimantan.