EcoMalaysia has recently undertaken an initiative in the Pekan area on the East Coast of Malaysia. Pekan is 50 km from Kuantan, going south to Mersing and Rompin. I t is the Royal Town where the Sultan of Pahang has his main Istana and polo fields. I t is also home to the Royal Pahang Museum, which is the state museum, at this moment undergoing massive restructuring and refurbishment.

Written by Cass Shan.

It won't be the first time that the Europeans have beaten the rest of the world to it but they've done it again! Eco-cabs are zero emission vehicles that take people around a city area – for free!

What exactly is an eco-cab?

An eco-cab is a cute looking vehicle can take two passengers and a rider in its three-wheel shell. Powered by a rechargeable battery aided pedal, it can go up to 12km per hour. Because of the size of the eco-cabs, they maneuver in and out of traffic easily, park easily and offers door to door pick up.

Written By Dan Gibas

The Forest Watch Project was launched by Transparency International's Forest Governance Integrity (FGI) Programme.

Transparency International's Forest Governance & Integrity Programme (FGI) tackles corruption as a primary driver of illegal logging and poor forest management.

Written by Cass Shan.

It can take up to 1,000 years for plastic bags to biodegrade.

Yet, we continue to give out over a billion plastic bags worldwide every day.

Why then, isn't the recent discussion of possibly banning plastic bags in Malaysia not treated with more gung-ho than Manchester United getting a kick in the goalpost? Perhaps because those familiar with the perils of encouraging the use of plastic bags are shrugging their shoulders and saying, "Well, it's about time," while those who aren't are questioning, "What's the big deal?".

Everyday choices for an office can make a huge difference in the future of global health, as well as economic and social benefits. Considering computers, printers, copiers, and faxes, office equipment is an enormous energy expenditure.

Offices literally use tons and tons of paper, and there are effortless ways to use much less; for example relying on electronic copies instead of printing, single spacing what is printed, and simply using both sides of a piece of paper.

Paper Consumption In Malaysia

Some facts to consider:

20th September 2011 at Universtiti Malaya

This one day event seeks to bring together PWDs, service providers, related officials / practitioners in public agencies & private sectors, CSR Directors, NGOs, college students, successful related entrepreneurs / businesses and green funders to innovate and mainstream disability participation into the Green na- tional agenda. Participants will learn about current and potential green projects and where to get the funds to jumpstart or expand their ideas or enterprises.

Attendance in rural schools, especially amongst the Orang Asli,is a problem. Rain, hours of darkness at the beginning of the day, the need to travel one or two miles without motorized transport are all disincentives.

For this reason Ecomalaysia has embarked on an initiative to supply rural schools in the Pekan district with bicycles. These bicycles will be awarded to year 4,5, and 6 pupils in the primary sector. The granting of a bicycle will be dependent on an improved attendance rate and progress in English language. Initially it is planned to supply 30 bicycles but this could be an ongoing initiative.

By Jacqueline Koay

When new to Malaysia, many expatriates fall into the habit of getting on a plane every weekend to jet off somewhere exotic. And why not? Asia is full of postcard destinations that poor souls back at home can only dream about, and with the proliferation of low cost carriers, everyone can fly.

When we first moved to Malaysia six years ago with four children who have only ever known life in England, our largest expense was food. Being Hampshire Hogs - whose summers were filled with blackberry picking by the roadside and wonderful afternoons in strawberry farms, my children had a cultural shock when told that we can no longer buy punnets of strawberries with our weekly shop.

Radday, M, WWF Germany. 2007. 'Borneo Maps'. January 24, 2007, adapted by Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal (2007). "Extent of deforestation in Borneo 1950-2005, and projection towards 2020". Last Stand of the Orangutan, Rapid Response Assessment. UNEP. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/extent-of-deforestation-in-borneo-1950-2005-and-projection-towards-2020.

Article by Sarah Jane Evans

'Life on earth is not evenly spread around our planet. Borneo...is one of its richest treasure-houses'