NGOs as Puppets in Malaysia Baharu
Is everything a numbers game that people are so desperate to include any random organizations
Brian Lee
On 25th February 2019, Malaysiakini published an article covering the joint statement made by 42 NGOs – “NGOs criticise Johor government’s lack of effort in tackling environmental issues”. (https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/465516). As a Johorean, I read through eagerly and it turns out to revolve around the same issues – Pulau Kukup, development of Forest City, Sg Pulai and the comparison between BN led state government and the current PH state government.
In that article, I was keen to find some new information update, latest news or even new environmental data. Especially since the article mentioned a “A group of NGOs have criticised the Johor government’s lack of commitment in tackling land issues in the state that also concerns the environment” and “a joint-statement by 42 organisations”.
I thought to myself that there must be something new that the 42 NGOs know that are newsworthy and since it’s a joint statement, I’m sure they are all nature lovers, experts or even university professors in various environmental and biodiversity field.
However only Johor Yellow Flame was mentioned in the article and upon checking their Facebook page, almost every post there are in Chinese instead of English or Bahasa Malaysia. The joint statement was also issued in Chinese.
Out of curiosity, I looked for the full list of the 42 NGOs who issued the joint statement and below is the summary:
| No. | NAME | LOCATION | BACKGROUND |
| 1 | Johor Yellow Flame (JYF) | JOHOR | Johor Yellow Flame (JYF) is a non-participating netizen organization whose members come from different backgrounds and different strata. The common point is that we all care for the society and hope to participate in the creation of a better country through practical actions. . |
| 2 | Agora Society | MALAYSIA | A loose network of intellectuals, writers and activists who advance democratic progress in Malaysia through critical analyses and propositions based on the principles of democracy and good governance |
| 3 | Amateur | ||
| 4 | Center for Orang Asli Concerns | MALAYSIA | Established in 1989 to advance the cause of the Orang Asli — whether via the greater dissemination of Orang Asli news and views, assisting in court cases involving Orang Asli rights, or in developing arguments for lobbying and advocacy work. |
| 5 | Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia | KL (Malaysia) | To expand spaces and opportunities so that Malaysians can enjoy their rights to freedom of expression. |
| 6 | Consumers Association Of Penang | PENANG | NGO focusing on consumer matters and giving a voice to the little people. |
| 7 | Eden Welfare Charity Society Kluang | JOHOR | a registered non-profit organization with a clear vision to care for the needy and disadvantaged in the community, particularly the youth. |
| 8 | ENGAGE | JOHOR | ENGAGE wants to nurture a community of informed, engaged citizens and make their shared concerns and interests part of the national agenda. |
| 9 | Free Tree Society Kuala Lumpur | KL | Free Tree Society Kuala Lumpur is an environmental organisation that spreads the environmental stewardship message through giving away trees for free to green our Earth. Since 2013, we have given away over 30,000 plants to homeowners, schools, marginalized groups, community gardens and wildlife habitats to proliferate planting, to encourage biodiversity and to promote a love of nature. |
| 10 | Grassroots | ||
| 11 | In Between Cultura | KL | three girls decided to form a experimental cultural platform. Their ideas and social concerns are in different forms of medium which include hand-made cloth pads, book selection and content planning. |
| 12 | International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Malaysia | JOHOR | IWPG Malaysia ‘s members are committed and sincere women NGO leaders promoting peace, unity and harmony through peace education and projects. |
| 13 | Johor People Action Group, JPAG | JOHOR | a group of like minded, non-partisan volunteers striving to raise voters’ awareness regardless of gender, race or religion. |
| 14 | KLSCAH Socio Economic Committee | KL / SELANGOR | KL & SELANGOR Chinese Assembly Hall |
| 15 | Kuala Lumpur (KL) Tak Nak Insinerator | KL | Against KL incinerator project |
| 16 | Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall – Youth Section | KL / SELANGOR | KL & SELANGOR Chinese Assembly Hall |
| 17 | Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Women Division | KL / SELANGOR | KL & SELANGOR Chinese Assembly Hall |
| 18 | MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture) | MALAYSIA | a movement for the abolition of the death penalty and torture |
| 19 | Malaysia Christian for Justice | MALAYSIA | Malaysian Christian for Justice is a faith community initiated with the objective to encourage and inspiring Christians in doing justice and loving mercy. |
| 20 | Malaysian Buddhist Kulapati Association, MBKA | MALAYSIA | Buddhism religion society |
| 21 | Negeri Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section | N.SEMBILAN | Chinese Assembly Hall |
| 22 | Penang Forum | PENANG | Penang Forum- Towards Sustainable Development in Penang |
| 23 | Penang Heritage Trust | PENANG | Promoting the conservation of Penang’s heritage and working to save the island’s many historical buildings. |
| 24 | Persahabatan Semparuthi | JOHOR | Indian social activitism |
| 25 | Persatuan Agama Buddha Prajna Seremban | N.SEMBILAN | Buddhism religion society |
| 26 | Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam – KUASA | PERAK | Memperjuangkan keadilan & demokrasi alam sekitar demi kelestarian bumi sejagat |
| 27 | Persatuan Belia Xiang Lian Negeri Sembilan | N.SEMBILAN | Chinese youth activism |
| 28 | Persatuan Komuniti Prihatin Selangor dan KL, PRIHATIN | SELANGOR & KL | Komuniti Prihatin Kebajikan Setempat diwujudkan untuk mendekati dan memahami kehendak dalam aspek kebajikan rakyat setempat |
| 29 | Persatuan Pemuda Teochew Negeri Sembilan | NEGERI SEMBILAN | TeoChew Chinese youth activism in Negeri Sembilan |
| 30 | Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor | SELANGOR | To build confidence in women workers about their rights as workers and as women. To undertake programmes and activities that foster the interests of women workers. To support women workers in their struggles to improve their lives. |
| 31 | Persatuan Tiong Hua Negeri Sembilan | N.SEMBILAN | Tiong Hua Chinese community in Negeri Sembilan |
| 32 | Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia @ Grass Malaysia | MALAYSIA | Nature and environment activitism |
| 33 | Pertubuhan Kebajikan Udumbara Malaysia | MALAYSIA | Buddhism followers welfare organisation – building schools and helping the underprivilege |
| 34 | PSM Cawangan Nusajaya | JOHOR | PSM political party branch in Nusajaya |
| 35 | Sahabat Alam Malaysia | MALAYSIA | SAM’s vision is to create a peaceful and sustainable world based on societies living in harmony with nature. We envision a society of interdependent people living in dignity, wholeness and fulfillment in which equity and human and peoples’ rights are realised. |
| 36 | Sahabat Rakyat | MALAYSIA | People/Citizen’s activism. |
| 37 | Seremban Chinese Methodist Church | N.SEREMBAN | Methodist Church followers and activities |
| 38 | SUARAM | MALAYSIA | Civil and political rights groups that believes in the universality, interdependence and indivisibility of all rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural. |
| 39 | Sunflower Electoral Education Movement | MALAYSIA | To conduct related courses so that participants could learn more about democracy system and its status in our nation, people’s right, local council election, and the necessary of improvement of Malaysia’s electoral system. |
| 40 | Tanjung Bungah Residents’ Association (TBRA) | PENANG | Residents Association for Tanjung Bungah residents. |
| 41 | University of Malaya Association of New Youth | KL & SELANGOR | University Malaya students activitism |
| 42 | Women Development Organisation Malaysia Petaling Jaya New Town Branch | SELANGOR | Activities to empower and develop women in PJ, Selangor |
I would like to reiterate that this letter is meant to discuss how news reporting has become in the era of Malaysia Baharu rather than the specific issues on environment. From my observation, I found :
- From the above list, only 7 NGOs are based in Johor while 11 nationwide NGOs. The rest are based in other states. How well do these NGOs in other states fully understand the local environment issues and the Johor state laws and legislation that they agreed to issue a joint statement condemning the Johor state government? Land matters are always under state laws and are unique to that particular state.
- There are many Chinese, Buddhist and Christian NGOs in the list including a Chinese Methodist Church in Negeri Sembilan. What type of thoughts do you expect the average rakyat on the street to conclude? Imagine if that person is an average Malay in Johor, he or she might strongly question why such religious organisations are questioning the Johor state government’s performance? Such info can quickly escalate and cause more racial tension especially since the previous Malaysian general election, relationship between the races in Malaysia has started to deteriorate.
- Is everything a numbers game that people are so desperate to include any random organizations which are totally unrelated in this. There is a resident’s association, a women development organization, a church, a political party branch being called an NGO, an NGO focussing on heritage buildings in Penang and the list goes on. If there are just 10 green based NGOs, then just mention 10. Why is there a need to boost numbers by using any random NGOs.
- Very soon you will find various Indian temple associations, Masjid committees and other religious bodies issuing joint statements on the performance of other states, ministries or even the PM himself. Is this the path that we chose when majority of Malaysians voted for a Malaysia Baharu.
- Very likely these NGOs are being used as a tool to front this issue by certain invisible influential hands as it is an open secret that NGOs rely heavily on donations to carry out their day to day activities.
In conclusion, the influx of statements and criticisms directed at the Johor state government and its development efforts can be deemed as suspicious and done in bad faith. Surprisingly or not, the very same 42 NGOs chose to keep their silence in environmental issues involving other states for example land clearing in Perak and Penang, highways in Selangor across forest reserve and bauxite mining in Pahang.
