Muzings 2022

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in Zurich, 2005.
Image credit: RSPO, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons.

The RSPO was created by oil palm producers, Secondly, a side effect of the discussions between
processors or traders, consumer goods producers, NGOs and local communities has given
manufacturers, retailers, banks/investors, and rise to a science-based definition of forests. It is not
environmental and social non-governmental actually easy to define a forest. It can be seen as a
organisations (NGOs) to develop and density of trees or a type of land cover. Some countries
implement global standards for sustainable even include plantations in their definition. The RSPO
palm oil. For more information, please visit focuses on carbon stock i.e. High Carbon Stock Forests
https://rspo.org/about. (HCSF). This classification is based primarily on carbon
sequestration (how much carbon the area captures and
stores) to identify forest zones and to protect them
from conversion to agriculture.
Thirdly, industry recognises multiple forest valuation,
which covers the environment, social, cultural and
ecological aspects. Finally, better protection is given
to forest communities and land rights by the United
Nations Free Prior and Informed Consent Principle
(FPIC). No company can therefore buy or grab land
without the stakeholder’s agreement.

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Ecosystem Restoration is a challenge to manage these combinations and
functions in diverse locations. Scientific research is
Another approach to support forest preservation required to understand what type of combinations
involves reducing the pace of deforestation. Yet and benefits restoration can provide in terms of
another option gaining international interest biodiversity and carbon storage. It is not certain
is Restoration by Reforestation. Small private if these initiatives can actually regain lost forest
initiatives led by groups such as hotels, and travel cover; this is still under study.
companies pledge to plant trees. Larger more Marcel rightly points out that restoration is not
effective international initiatives include the achieved merely by slogans but by restoring with
Great Green Wall initiative in Africa to reforest purpose. It cannot be done from the office tower
8000 km in the Sahel from west to east Africa. of a company, but must begin with stakeholders
Another initiative is the Bonn Challenge helmed on the ground and others using the area. The whys
by the International Union for Conservation of and wherefores of implementation in a specific
Nature (IUCN) and the German Government and landscape generally follow a pragmatic approach.
company stakeholders. This is to restore 350mha of Agroforestry (intentional planting of varieties
degraded forest landscape by 2030. In 2020/2021 of trees and plants on the same land or area as
some 200mha was restored. agricultural crops and animals) cannot displace
In Malaysia a programme to plant 100 million trees monoculture but it can have transformational
by 2025 began in 2020. However, it is not just a effects in long term production systems or farming
matter of planting trees. Ecosystems are complex, methods using a mix of crops and forestry to help
depending on many different landscapes, resources, restore ecosystems.
rivers, dry land, mangroves and tropical forests. It

As forests become fragmented due to economic One solution is to plant patches of native trees that act
activities, animal populations (especially orangutan and as corridors between these forests, thus allowing the
elephants) get isolated within them. Lack of co-mingling animals to move freely across the landscape. Image
raises concerns on the genetic viability of the species. courtesy of HUTAN.

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The TRAILS project

Marcel next discussed TRAILS, which is an acronym
of ‘climaTe Resilient lAndscapes for wIldLife
conServation’. This is a pilot project to implement
innovative planting with consideration for wildlife,
climate resilience and the livelihood of local populations.
TRAILS was started in early 2021. Consideration for
the local population includes, for example, keeping the
rivers clean since the surrounding communities depend
on clean rivers for water and fishing. Palm oil effluents,
pesticides and fertilisers need to be controlled.

In the TRAILS project, the landscape being studied Rafflesia, Sabah. Image credit: Rod Waddington,
is the Lower Kinabatangan area in Sabah. It not only CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
faces the problem of deforestation but the landscape is
also fragmented between forest and economic activities. stakeholders and their different views and interests.
This has consequences in protecting animal habitats, Local initiatives must be supported and implementation
especially for orangutans or elephants, as they have to should not be from the top down. The TRAILS project
cross plantations because either their original forest also assists the Sabah authorities in assessing and
habitat cuts through plantations, or their traditional providing scientific data on agroforestry schemes and
areas are shrinking. In fact, this is one of the main agroecological practices. But nothing can be done if
factors behind their declining population. companies and individuals are unwilling to change and
One initiative in degraded areas is to build wildlife champion the cause.
corridors. This can be done only with the support of This project, however, has a willing partner, a local
plantation owners and growers. They often perceive company, Melangking Oil Palm Plantation (MOPP),
such initiatives, however, as under-optimising land which has been willing to convert to agroforestry,
use because some of the reforestation is in their transforming their oil palm production to agroecology
area and they fear loss of land. This interaction with and organic production. They have become a champion
wildlife has become a source of conflict and a financial for change and have taken their own initiative, asking
burden, which means it requires discussions with the for support from the research. Since TRAILS is to
stakeholders. work with local initiatives and on a voluntary basis,
The process of landscape restoration is in mapping and the company does not get any funding. MOPP is not
trying to identify how improvements can be made in exposed to international markets and yet is interested
order to regain ecological functions. It is important to in TRAILS initiatives. Five French agronomists, wildlife
monitor how these can be restored, understanding how conservation experts, and foresters are currently
they worked before and what benefits can be obtained working on location with the company on composting,
by reforestation so that it provides a real impact. The effluents, seedling and indigenous tree selection over a
TRAILS project involves first mobilising a partnership time frame of two years, that comes to an end in 2022.
with Sabah authorities and agencies, such as the Data collection takes time and only begins to be effective
Forestry Department and Wildlife Department without after two years. Additional funding for TRAILS beyond
whose commitment no progress can be made. It also two years is a possibility and would start at a micro level
involves collaborating with civil society and NGOs in with a few other stakeholders in Sabah and elsewhere
the area who are already conducting programmes. Most in Malaysia.
importantly, it involves working with oil palm plantation This reflects the importance of not just having a
companies and with the neighbouring communities purpose but to firmly ground it in supporting local
who live from and in the forest areas. initiatives with an emphasis on practical action, not
The first priority is to implement a dialogue platform merely researching from an academic and theoretical
to strengthen the synergies between the various standpoint. In this respect, however, the project also

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An orangutan enjoying its treasure, Sabah 2015.
Image credit: Joe Hunt, CC BY 2.0, via
Wikimedia Commons.

mobilises a scientific approach involving agronomy, the dynamic mix. Another is how reforestation supports
veterinary, social and ecological sciences. biodiversity recolonization and the socio-economic
TRAILS follows a landscape approach, not just at benefits on income and well-being. Other surveys are
plantation and village levels but based on current on non-pollution of rivers, increased carbon storage,
territories to support other initiatives of the local soil health and the abundance of pollinators.
communities. The project is now in Sukau in Lower One of the economic activities that has arisen is
Kinabatangan. Women’s groups are engaged in wildlife tourism, or ecotourism. Marcel emphasises
reforestation by developing nurseries as well as that this must not come from the top levels with
reforesting on allocated land providing them a viable external policies and initiatives. Such tourism must be
economic activity. Experimental plots are being tested a local community effort that contributes both to the
alongside plantations, mixing native forest trees and economic needs of the community together with the
oil palm to find out if the dynamic is working. From importance of conservation. And there has been some
this study, an optimal combination of forest and oil success. One such body is led by HUTAN, a partner
palm is determined. Another aspect is the monitoring to the TRAILS project (the work done by HUTAN
of the pollination of oil palm to improve quality and is described in a later chapter). Another is KOPEL,
production. Agroforestry is not against productivity but a tourism cooperative in Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan,
instead desires to optimise what nature provides to the Sabah. This organisation welcomes groups, especially
local population. young people, to visit, volunteer and contribute by
Surveys have been conducted on the progress of participating in local activities.
these different research activities. One is on oil palm It is important to control mass tourism in these
performance, such as growth and yields as a result of areas because it would be counterproductive to their

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intentions. Currently tourism is very small-scale. Marcel Djama is a Senior Research Fellow at the
Importantly, ecotourism is better initiated by the locals International Research Centre on Agriculture and
as it is embedded in their community needs. In this Development (France), and a visiting Senior Research
way the local communities have an economic activity Fellow at the University Putra Malaysia. Marcel holds
which is in harmony with protecting the surrounding a PhD in Social Sciences (with a focus on political
rainforest for future generations. anthropology and economic sociology) from École
As Museum Volunteers, we create an awareness of the cultures Des Hautes Études En Sciences Sociales (The School
of Malaysia. Marcel’s talk has helped to remind us that the for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) in Paris.
rainforests are our cultural heritage and an integral part of the His expertise is in the field of politics and development
studies. He is involved in academic research, teaching,
Malaysian identity. w and training. He came to Malaysia to study/monitor
development of sustainability standards and initiatives
Recorded by V. Jegatheesan in 2007/2008 and follow transnational initiatives
of forestry and agricultural commodity sectors.
Love Our Forests. Preserve Our Natural He is currently conducting research on the global
Heritage. Image credit: Yann Arthus Bertrand, environmental agenda and development policies
“Coeur de Voh”, la Terre vue du Ciel. in South East Asia (Malaysia and Indonesia). He is
coordinating the TRAILS research and development
project in implementing a climate resilient landscape

for wildlife conservation in Sabah.

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MV Research Team Talk Series

Coexisting with Wildlife:
Lessons Learnt from HUTAN in Sabah

Dr. Marc Ancrenaz
22 July 2021

An aerial photograph taken by Marc shows an orangutan’s nest on a tall tree standing
alone amidst an oil-palm plantation at least three kilometres from the nearest forest.
This begs the question: can orangutans survive outside protected forests?
The conventional approach to conservation is to allocate specific areas that humans are
not allowed to exploit, thus protecting its wildlife. This approach, whilst excellent for
maintaining patches of pristine primary rainforest and sustaining biodiversity, does not
work too well for larger terrestrial animals (especially tigers, elephants and orangutan)
or flying species (birds, bats) as they need large roaming spaces. However, although
increasing the size of protected forests is urgent, this conflicts with the need to feed an
increasing human population and support their economic activities. An unconventional
solution is required.

Dr. Marc Ancrenaz is the co-founder of HUTAN,
an NGO established in 1996 together with Isabelle
Lackman, to study the interface between animals and
humans, as well as to investigate if orangutans can
survive in degraded forests. The prevailing viewpoint
in the late 1990s was that they could only survive in
primary forests. The organisation is centred at Sukau,
about 130 kilometres from Sandakan, located on the
Kinabatangan, the longest river in Sabah.
A pristine primary forest just 80 years ago, today palm-
oil plantations dominate the landscape. The Lower
Kinabatangan is extremely conducive to producing
high yields of palm oil and is today the most important
centre in Malaysia for the production of this crop.
Although only 10% of the floodplain is still covered
by forest (including the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife
Sanctuary), there is still great biodiversity, making it an
ideal area to study the human-animal interface. Studying
this interface is important for orangutan conservation
as research shows that only about a third of Borneo’s
orangutan lives in protected forests with the rest
living in commercial forests, undeveloped plantation
concessions and non-allocated lands.
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Marc stressed that for long-term conservation to be uses the palm to make its nest. No matter how disturbed
successful it has to be done in conjunction with local the forest is, the orangutans will find what they need to
communities. HUTAN’s workforce of 80 people survive. This gives hope for the species.
comprises members of the Orang Sungai, indigenous An interesting observation pointed out by Marc was
inhabitants of Sukau working in several units including that, unlike primary forests where the trees are tall and
those dedicated to the research of orangutans, the canopy thick, disturbed forests do not have big
elephants, hornbills and the Pangi swiftlet. A team of trees, thus more light penetrates. This is conducive to
ten researchers tracks orangutans daily in a degraded plants such as woody climbers, which produce leaves
forest bordered by the Kinabatangan on its right and oil all year long. The orangutan – whose diet consists of
palm plantations on its northern and southern borders. young shoots and leaves – finds food in abundance
The team goes into the forest at 5am, before sunrise, in degraded forests and spends most of its time lying
looking for the orangutan nest made the day before and around doing nothing. The orangutan is thriving in
follows the orangutan all day long, while making notes disturbed and degraded forests; hence these forests
on their behaviour and actions. should be protected as well.
In this way, they obtain valuable information on the Female orangutans tend to stay close to the place they
habits of the orangutan. Their feeding behaviour, for were born. If the forest has given way to plantations,
example, was found to be similar to orangutans living they will stay put in any small patches of jungle
in pristine forests: fruits, leaves and young shoots make remaining. There are many such small patches amidst
up the bulk of their food. However, the plant species plantations. The males, however, roam and are not fixed
consumed were different, indicating that they can to a location. Although living in forests, they will venture
adjust their diets when faced with new food sources. In deep into the plantations seeking these females. The
addition, the orangutans living near plantations sneak females breed in the plantations, putting themselves and
into the plantations to feed on the palm tree fruits and their offspring at risk, with huge implications on the
young leaves. Palm oil is an imported species indigenous conservation of the species.
to West Africa, again showing that the orangutan is not
dependent on a traditional diet. The orangutan even

Other denizens of the forest. Left: Horsfield’s tarsier,
also known as the Western tarsier. Right: Proboscis
monkeys; these exist only in Borneo.

107

Meet Jenny, a female orangutan that HUTAN has been following since 1998. There are three
species of orangutan – two in Sumatra (Pongo abelii and Pongo tapanuliensis) and one in Borneo
(Pongo pygmaeus) with three subspecies. The International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) has placed the orangutan as Critically Endangered on its Red List because of recent
reduction in population size. The orangutan number has declined more than 75 percent within
three generations (around 75 years). Borneo has lost 100 000 of its orangutan in the last 16 years.
This is mainly due to habitat loss but they are also hunted for food both in Sumatra and in Borneo.
Some male orangutans (as shown in the image below) have large, padded cheeks known as flanges.
Studies show that those having these features tend to father more offsprings compared to their
unflanged counterparts.

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Representative Orangutan Conservation Projects
Undertaken by HUTAN

Securing wildlife corridors Reforestation Skybridge

The orangutan population in Lower A problem with securing land to Unlike other primates, the
Kinabatangan totals around 800 connect fragmented forests is that orangutan is not able to swim.
individuals but they live fragmented these lands tend to be bereft of Even small rivulets become barriers
in different forests. With little trees. Hence, an important initiative to their movement. Working with
opportunity for mingling, concerns undertaken by HUTAN is to reforest partners, HUTAN is creating
rise over the genetic viability of the these areas. HUTAN’s 30-strong bridges over rivers and drains in
species. One initiative undertaken reforestation team (all women from an attempt to remove barriers to
by HUTAN is to connect the village) is responsible not only orangutan movement. Their efforts
fragmented forests, thus providing for planting the trees, but also for are bearing fruits as evidenced
a safe corridor for the orangutans maintaining the plots until the trees by the many photographs taken
to navigate between forests. For are tall enough to grow on their showing the regular use of these
example, the Keruak Corridor own. Due to the team’s vigilance, bridges by the orangutans. The
shown on the map is today a HUTAN has an 81 percent seedling bridges are also used by other fauna
protected area but was originally survival rate, which is very high – the macaques, in particular, love
under private ownership. HUTAN considering that the typical survival to swing on them.
worked with local communities, rate for unmaintained seedlings is
plantation owners and government 10 percent. Instead of planting their
organisations to reallocate this piece own seedlings, HUTAN purchases
of land for conservation. Additional them from local nurseries, thus
similar initiatives are planned to helping the local communities to
connect disparate protected forests. generate income from this initiative.

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The Bornean elephant, a subspecies of the Asian elephant, is
smaller and slimmer compared to those in the Peninsula. It is a
gentle creature, showing no aggression and allows people to get
close to it. They do not have good vision and do not see stationary
objects very well, but this is compensated by a good sense of smell.

Elephants need a large area in which to roam. As wildlife wardens who, by becoming the ears and eyes
protected forests are relatively small, they make their of the Sabah Wildlife Department, patrol the area to
way out of these forests to forage for food, banana keep it safe from poachers. Their efforts have resulted
trees being among their favourites. Unfortunately, they in declining illegal activities over the past three years.
can cause quite a bit of destruction during their forays Apart from law enforcement activities, these wardens
into the villages or plantations, leading people to treat also carry out wildlife surveys and monitoring to
them as pests and kill them. The Bornean elephant understand how habitat fragmentation and degradation
currently only numbers around 2000 individuals on the is affecting biodiversity. For example, their surveys
island. The population has declined by 50 percent over identified 32 frog species (two as yet undescribed)
the last three generations and the Bornean elephant has inhabiting the Lower Kinabatangan. Although this
now been added to the IUCN Red List. Hence, it is seems like a healthy number, surveys also revealed that
necessary to find ways for humans to coexist with these the rare forest species – such as tree frogs – are declining
animals. HUTAN works with the community to find rapidly in number, while the more common frogs are
ways to mitigate conflicts. One solution comes from taking over the disturbed habitats. This is true not just
tourism – tourists are keen to view these animals up for frogs but also for small mammals and birds – the
close, which benefits the community since tourism is a composition of the animal communities is changing
good source of income. As a result, the locals are now due to forest degradation and fragmentation.
more willing to accept the animals and overlook the There are eight species of hornbills in Borneo and
damage they cause. they are all represented in the Lower Kinabatangan.
One of the greatest challenges facing wildlife across Hornbills do not build their own nests but make use of
the world is poaching, which has unfortunately already tree cavities when breeding. Trees in degraded forests
caused many wildlife species to disappear. In Sabah, are relatively small as the older taller trees have been
the government has given legal powers to the public chopped off in timber concessions. While these trees
to arrest poachers. HUTAN has a team of honorary

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are used by the smaller hornbill species, they are not Artificial nest boxes harbouring hornbills
sufficient as nesting sites for the larger species such Jade frog
as the rhinoceros hornbill and the helmeted hornbill.
HUTAN has responded to this threat by building Swiftlet nests in Pangi
artificial nest boxes for them, a first in the world. Putting
up these boxes is dangerous work – they weigh about 111
80 kilograms and need to be installed on trees at 20-30
metres above ground level. The good news though is
that the boxes have succeeded in solving the problem –
and the hornbills are breeding.

Another conservation project is the recovery of the
Pangi swiftlet population. Pangi is a limestone cave in
the Lower Kinabatangan used by swiftlets to breed.
Unfortunately, the nests built by these tiny birds are
highly prized in the Chinese market as a nutritional
food. The nests command high prices and are regularly
poached, resulting in the near extinction of the swiftlets
about ten years ago. HUTAN has worked with the
government who gave them the rights to protect this
swiftlet colony; a positive outcome has been realised,
with the number of breeding pairs steadily increasing.

“Conservation is not about wildlife,
conservation is primarily about people”

The loss of biodiversity and other problems faced
by animals are caused by people. Hence, to fix the
problems, conservationists need to work with the
humans and not the wildlife. HUTAN does a lot of work
to raise awareness, e.g. speaking in schools and at public
forums. They also do scientific research work, results
of which are shared with the government and used
in policy formulation. Ultimately, local communities,
being the front liners, need to be empowered to protect
the environment and wildlife. In addition, ways need
to be devised for people to co-exist peacefully with
animals. Marc stressed that this has to be the priority

for conservation in the next few decades. w

Recorded by Maganjeet Kaur

All images in the article are courtesy of HUTAN

Dr. Marc Ancrenaz is the co-founder of HUTAN
and he is its Scientific Director. He manages
the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation
Project, a community-based programme
in Sabah focused on wildlife research and
conservation. Dr. Marc is also a scientific
adviser for the Sabah Wildlife Department.
HUTAN’s website: www.hutan.org.my

The Natural History Gallery
that Once Was

Dennis Ong

July 10, 2015. Soon after Jubi Lee was spotted floating off Singapore’s
Jurong Island, a team of scientists and conservators were quick to muster
their forces to preserve her remains. Seven months later, on 15 March 2016,
hanging just a mere one metre from ground level and measuring 10.6 metres
in length, her skeleton would become the centre of scientific reverence at
the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
The sight of a whale’s skeleton in the city-state is not unprecedented. The
much-coveted skeleton of an Indian Fin whale (Balaenoptera indica), measuring
13 metres in length, was exhibited at Singapore’s Raffles Museum for almost
70 years from 1907 until it was presented to Malaysia as a gift in 1974.
While this decision has been a persistent lament for many Singaporeans,
Malaysians continued to rejoice in the homecoming of a specimen that had
been found on a beach in Kampung Sa’ Batu, Melaka, on 9 June 1892. The
story behind how this specimen was collected, however, would likely not
receive the same level of jubilation as did Jubi Lee. When this immature
whale was first spotted, a fence was built to prevent it from returning to the
sea at high tide. For the next three days, it let out a ‘bull-like noise’ before
sadly expiring a week later. An alternative account specifies, however, that
the whale died within two days and that the fence was built to prevent its
carcass from floating away. Now displayed at the Labuan Marine Museum
for educational purposes, the skeleton continues to look out over the sea
from whence it came.
And yes, this whale skeleton did once find its resting place at the National
Museum Kuala Lumpur, although strangely no one can recall it being
displayed there! The whale was exhibited in the Museum’s former natural
History Gallery along with a trove of other specimens, which gave very
vivid and realistic interpretations of Malaysia’s mega-biodiversity, albeit
not a comprehensive picture. It would have been impractical to show the
entire range of different species: an estimated 15 000 vascular plants, 306

A selection of entomological speciments displayed at
the Natural History Museum, Malaysia (now closed).
Image credit: Maganjeet Kaur.

Background image: Taman Negara, Lata Berkoh.
Image credit: Jörg Widany.

Skeleton of an Indian Fin whale on
display at the Labuan Marine Museum.
Attribution: Labuan Marine Museum
Facebook page.

mammals, 742 bird, 242 amphibian, 567 reptiles, over Malaysian history in a chronological arrangement: Early
449 freshwater fish, over 500 marine fish and more than History (Gallery A); Malay kingdoms that once ruled
150 000 species of invertebrates found in Malaysia, as land and sea (Galley B); Colonial powers and Economic
noted by the Convention on Biological Diversity. activities (Gallery C); and Liberation movements,
Malaysia’s National Museum is no negligible institution Independence, modern International Relations and
– those familiar with the relatively recent history syllabus national aspirations (Gallery D).
in Malaysian national-type schools would probably agree However, a pre-2007 visitor would have been greeted
that the experience of visiting the Museum is not unlike with an entirely different approach to narrating the
diving into our Sejarah textbooks in a 3-dimensional, story of the nation. Before that time, the displays were
more tangible form. In its four main galleries – A, B, arranged in thematic order. The museum’s space was
C and D – visitors explore condensed narratives of utilised as follows: Natural History and Economic

114

were behind glass – all very visually realistic and true to
life. It is unfortunate, however, that the content in this
Gallery was largely centred on Peninsular Malaysia.

A large map placed at the entrance of the Gallery,
showing the distribution of land and sea animals in
South East Asia, prepped visitors on the displays to
expect. As one entered and turned left to start the tour,
there was a display that aptly pairs up the main Malaysian
staple food – rice – with the birds commonly found
in paddy fields, considered both pests and at the same
time agents of natural pest control. Then there was a
collection of fish familiar to us on the dinner table as
well as in aquaria. Rodent pests that roam the rubber, oil
palm and cocoa plantations reminded us how much the
Malaysian economy relies on agriculture as well as how
adorable but destructive some animals can be, from the
human view that is. There were also squirrels and fruit
bats that would not hesitate to savour what they could
forage in the wild.

Activities (second floor); Cultural, Historical, Arts & The flow of the displays then acquired a ‘geological’
Craft and the Orang Asli Collection (first floor); and a flavour with some of Peninsular Malaysia’s oldest
Ceramics gallery and Library on the ground floor. rocks, a visual indication of just how ancient our land
The Natural History Gallery (current Gallery C) begs mass is. Furthermore, the indigenous fruits and plants
more attention. Referring to a guidebook of the Gallery on show reinforced how naturally bountiful Malaysia
published in 1979 entitled Natural History Gallery: A Brief is. The tour then led to the entomological collection,
Guide, a layout plan details the arrangement of all the 63 the mammals, and various categories of flora and
exhibits including birds, rodents, mammals, primates, fauna. Before proceeding to view the abovementioned
sea creatures, corals, shellfish, reptiles, insects, fruits, displays, however, visitors may have found themselves
plants, and even stones and minerals. Some were shown drawn to the dioramas positioned at the centre of the
in their ‘natural habitats’ through dioramas, while others Gallery. Showcased separately according to an animal’s
natural habitat, the displays included scenes of a leaping
leopard, honey bears hunting for honey, a roaming
tiger, and sea animals lurking in a coral reef – intricately
designed to mimic potential dangers in the wild while
posing no actual threat to visitors at the museum. From
another point of view, what is considered dangerous
to humans may also be understood as an animal’s own
defence mechanism. Furthermore, there was an element
of the exotic in the making of these dioramas as a visual
attraction – visitors were able to experience ‘the wilds’
in the comfort and leisure of an educational weekend
family outing. Today, it is possible to see something
resembling Muzium Negara’s former Natural History
Gallery at the Sultan Alam Shah Museum, Shah Alam –
the de facto Selangor state museum.
The preservation of natural history artefacts received a
boost when a proposal to develop a standalone museum
of Natural History was mooted in 2006 at the Fifth
National Biodiversity and Biotechnology Council. Two

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years later, an extensive report comprising 219 pages Institutions Displaying
for the planning and development of Malaysia’s Natural Natural History Collections
History Museum was jointly prepared by the United
Nations Development Programme and the Forest Taiping Museum
Research Institute Malaysia. The report acknowledged Museum of Medical Research
Malaysia as one of the few countries without a natural A small display at Gallery A, National
history museum, in spite of its richness in biodiversity. Museum
The establishment of the Natural History Museum was School of Environmental and Natural
to be in line with a National Policy on Biological Diversity Resource Sciences at UKM
adopted in 1998, its vision: ‘To transform Malaysia into National Repository for Agricultural Pests
a world centre of excellence in conservation, research at the Department of Agriculture
and utilization of tropical biological diversity by the School of Biological Science at University
year 2020’. It is also worth mentioning that the vast of Malaya
majority of natural history specimens collected over Institute for Biodiversity at PERHILITAN,
100 years remained dispersed overseas while those Forest Reserve Institute of Malaysia
within Malaysia’s direct custody date back only about Faculty of Resource Science and
50 years. Technology at UMS
Things looked more hopeful on 1 February 2010 Natural History Museum of UMS
(Federal Territory Day) when the envisioned Natural Forest Research Centre
History Museum first opened its doors in Putrajaya Sarawak Museum
on Jalan Diplomatik. Special exhibitions hosted by the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre
Museum included Nyawa: Bird Exhibition and the Skeleton Fisheries Research Institute
Exhibition in 2016. The Natural History Museum’s Sabah Museum
service to society was a rather short-lived one, however,
and did not live to see the realisation of its aspirations.
‘NOTICE OF OPERATIONAL CLOSURE OF
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM’ on the Museum
Department’s website spelled its demise and brought
an unfortunate end to the vision that Malaysians could
have enjoyed the natural environment. Perhaps if
the Natural History Museum had found its home in
its initially preferred location on Federal Hill, Kuala
Lumpur, the story might have ended differently.
Nonetheless, our natural history remains a much-
appreciated heritage asset that cannot be replaced
at any cost. It is not all sad news on the museology
front, however, for there are still a number of other
museums and institutions dedicated to expanding our
understanding of our natural history. In the same vein,
it should be intrinsic that Malaysian natural heritage
conservation and preservation should also strive to
reflect all the good work that is being done in the
academic field for, as Gandhi observed, ‘The greatness
of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the

way its animals are treated.’ w

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Malayan Tapir

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Exhibition on The Wonders of Taxidermy: Eternal Life

Many artefacts that have been out of the public eye since Ho Cheng. This magnificent bird is commonly found
the Natural History Museum shuttered in 2017 were soaring over the waters between India and Australia.
showcased at the Wonders of Taxidermy exhibition, The Pig-tailed Macaque, preserved in November 1963,
which ran between 18 October 2021 and 18 March 2022 was among the earliest to be mounted at the National
at Gallery 2 of the Department of Museums building at Museum. The ring placed around its neck indicates a
Jalan Damansara. macaque held in captivity. Macaques are trained to
The exhibition included mammals, birds, reptiles and climb coconut trees and pluck ripe fruit. It took four
amphibians. Among the oldest exhibit was the Malayan taxidermists to preserve the long and heavy Saltwater
Tapir, caught in Taiping and preserved at the Perak Crocodile: Wee Ho Cheng, Jeffrey Soon Hock, Abdullah
Museum. A relative of the rhinoceros, the tapir is on bin Abu Hassan and Syed Jamaluddin bin Syed Sulong.
the ‘Endangered’ list and it is totally protected. The
White-bellied Sea-Eagle was mounted in 1980 by Wee

Pig-tailed Macaque

Saltwater Crocodile

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Taxidermy at the Museum:

An Interview with
Mohammed Ali Mohaideen

Maganjeet Kaur

Although it no longer has a permanent public space to It also raises the question – how is taxidermy carried
display its artefacts, the Natural History Museum within out? The animal is first measured and then skinned.
the Department of Museums, Malaysia, continues with Tanning follows, where the skin is put through a series
its responsibility to maintain and grow the museum’s of chemical baths. In the final step, the skin is sewn
natural heritage collection. Its eleven personnel, working over an artificial body, which can be made of straw
out of the Royal Museum on Jalan Istana, include two or papier-mâché. According to Ali, ‘it requires a lot of
taxidermists: Mohammed Ali bin A.M. Haja Mohaideen patience, as the skin must be carefully separated from
and Mohd Ridhuan bin Akhiruddin. They curated the the body and the artificial frame must be constructed
exhibition, Wonders of Taxidermy: Eternal Life, which ran to fit exactly under the skin.’ The taxidermist must have
from 18 October 2021 to 17 April 2022 at Gallery 2, a strong grounding in animal anatomy. The work is
Department of Museums building, and displayed 126 highly skilled; the smaller the animal, the more precise
faunal exhibits. the taxidermist has to be. The mounted animal can be
Ali kindly consented to walk me through the exhibition, used for display, research or education.
thus magnifying my appreciation of the exhibits with Ali finds birds the easiest to mount as the skin covers a
his wealth of knowledge in the field. The tour started smaller surface area compared to the size of the animal.
with a briefing on the history of taxidermy at the Less work is also involved, as, instead of tanning, the
museum. The first museum in Malaysia was the Perak dry preservative method can be employed in which
Museum in Taiping, which, although opened in 1886, borax is applied directly to the fresh skin. Fish are the
started building its collections from 1883. Its first most difficult; their fins are very fragile and their gills
taxidermist was E.J. Keilich. One hundred and twenty can get in the way of cleaning. Ali showed his calloused
years may have passed but the Sumatran Rhinoceros he fingers with skin peeling in places thanks to needlework
preserved in 1901 still looks lifelike, every crevice clearly and handling chemicals. However, he enjoys the work
visible on its leathery skin and the glint in its eyes still and has no complaints.
sending shivers down the spine. This not only points
to Keilich’s skill as a taxidermist but also pays tribute
to the generations of museum conservators after him,
whose dedication to their jobs has kept this magnificent
creature in pristine condition.

Right: The skeleton of this Black Bittern (Pucung Hitam)
was articulated in 2018 by Mohd Khairill bin Jemangin.
This bird is totally protected under Malaysia’s Wildlife
Conservation Act 2010. Animals are articulated to
preserve their bones in situations where its skin is
too damaged. For a variety of reasons, it may not be
possible to reconstruct all the bones; the extra pieces
are not thrown away but are kept together with the
constructed skeleton, as shown in this image. Image
credit: Maganjeet Kaur.

Facing page: Sumatran Rhinoceros found in Dinding,
Perak, and preserved in 1901 by E.J. Keilich. This
two-honed rhinoceros was declared extinct in Malaysia
in 2019 and only about 80 individuals remain in
Indonesia. Image credit: Maganjeet Kaur.

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Skull and tusks of the ‘Telok Anson’ elephant on display at the Perak Museum,
Taiping, during the 135 years Perak Museum exhibition (31st October 2018 to
31st March 2019). Image courtesy of Natural History Museum, JMM.

After the Perak and Selangor museums were the Earth spirit to lend its benevolence. Killing it was
amalgamated into FMS Museums in 1910, the Perak not easy, though; an account of the harrowing chase is
Museum focused on ethnology and archaeology whilst provided by Maxwell in his book, In Malay Forests.
the natural history and Negeri Sembilan ethnology Also gone are the many seladang head trophies bagged
collections were centralised at the Selangor Museum. by Captain Harry Syers, an avid hunter, although the
Unfortunately, the accidental bombing of Selangor head of the seladang that killed Syers in 1897 still stands
Museum in 1945 destroyed a large part of its collection. proud at the Royal Malaysia Police Museum on Jalan
Many famous specimens are thus no longer in the Perdana. Equally missed is the cow elephant shot by
museum’s possession. Dr W.H. Lucy within his compound at the edge of the
The Pinji rhino’s loss is still felt. This was a rare one- Public Gardens (Lake Gardens), about a mile from the
horned Javan Rhinoceros that terrorised the Pinji Valley Selangor Museum. Mounted by S.E. Seimund, it was the
near Ipoh. The Malays considered it ‘keramat’, saying it largest taxidermy project undertaken in Asia at the time.
was imbued with supernatural powers and protected by A dugong, caught off the coast at Sepang, was a crowd
a guardian spirit. Numerous attempts to kill it failed; puller at the museum. Known as the ‘mermaid’, its skin
when shot, it just came back stronger. It was finally could not be preserved but its skeleton was displayed at
bagged by William George Maxwell in 1899 with the the Selangor Museum together with a plaster model of
help of Pa’ Senik, a pawang (shaman) who beseeched the animal.

Thankfully, the skull and tusks of the brave elephant
that faced off and derailed a train on 17 September
1894 at Telok Anson (Teluk Intan) remain safe at the
museum. The Tapah-Telok Anson line was new at
the time and the area was a favourite roaming ground
for elephants. This elephant faced the oncoming train
without budging – it might have been protecting its
herd or even seeking revenge – but it was no match for
the iron beast. Its heroic act should serve as a reminder
that animals are not able to defend themselves against
human encroachment into their territory and need our
help.

A survivor of the Selangor Museum bombing –
head frontlet of a seladang shot in 1903 at Ulu
Serdai in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. Image courtesy
of Natural History Museum, JMM.

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When Muzium Negara was established, it needed both Top to bottom:
to rebuild its collection and to improve its expertise. An Rahmat Ahmat painting the backdrop to the mangrove swamp
advertisement seeking an experienced taxidermist was habitat diorama. The diorama contained a mounted crocodile and
inserted into the Straits Times and the services of Arne some birds.
Stockholm Dyhrberg, a Danish-born taxidermist from
the Museum of Zoology in Bogor, Java, were secured Great Argus (Kuang Raya), collected by Wee Ho Cheng. It
on an on-loan basis. Dyhrberg arrived on 2 January occupied one of the three dioramas ready for public viewing when
1963, ahead of the official opening of the museum on the museum opened on 31 August 1963.
31 August, to train locally recruited staff – Wee Ho
Cheng (hired as Head of Taxidermy), Abdullah Abu Sumatran Serow (Kambing Gurun), donated by the National Zoo
Hassan, Jeffrey Heah Soon Hock and Syed Jamaluddin. of Malaysia, perserved on 18 June 1963 by Ben Ensoll. The serow
The team worked until 10pm every day, cheerfully was in a diorama showcasing a night scene in the forest – small
sacrificing their Sundays and public holidays, to complete mammals frolicked near a moonlit stream while the serow looked
three large dioramas in time for the grand opening. on from a rocky ledge. This diorama was also one of the three
The dioramas contained mounted Malayan animals as earliest dioramas.
well as birds, and they were filled with preserved trees,
shrubs, bamboo, creepers and grass. The backdrops Both the Great Argus and Sumatran Serow are totally protected in
were painted by the artist Rahmat Ahmat and assisted Malaysia under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
by Halim Nasir and others. Arguably the most beautiful
diorama was that containing a pair of Kuang Raya (Great
Argus), the male in its full plumage with the female
nearby. The male Kuang Raya was the first specimen to
be mounted at Muzium Negara, and it remains a pride
of the museum’s collection.

Apart from training the staff, Dyhrberg also organised
and led expeditions to collect and build natural history
collections for Muzium Negara. For example, in 1964,
he led an expedition to Upper Perak, between Gunong
Pilong and Bukit Kaput, which was known for colourful
birds such as forest pheasants, paradise flycatchers,
trogons and hornbills. In the same year, a very large
collection of shells and corals was obtained through
a field trip to Terengganu, including 28 different cone
shell species with poisonous stings in their tails. By the
time the Natural History Gallery at Muzium Negara
was officiated on 8 February 1968, the museum had
built up an enviable faunal collection.

An exhibit that stood out for me at the exhibition was
the elephant foetus preserved in October 1973. This
came from a pregnant elephant found dead in Sabak
Bernam, Selangor. An attempt to save the baby failed
but the foetus was preserved.

When an animal dies, either as a road-kill or through
natural causes, PERHILITAN (Department of Wildlife
and National Parks) is alerted, and, if the animal is in
good condition, it is offered to the Department of
Museums. The Museum also receives faunal specimens
donated by zoos.

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Foetus of an Asian Elephant (Gajah Asia), donated by PERHILITAN,
Selangor. It was preserved in October 1973 by Abdullah bin Abu
Hassan, Jeffery Heah Soon Hock, Syed Jamaluddin bin Syed
Sulong and Wee Ho Cheng. The photograph shows Ho Cheng and
Syed Jamaluddin mounting the skin on its artificial body.

The Museum not only preserves animals for its own Preservation efforts were undertaken by Muzium
collection, but also trains other institutions and helps Negara personnel on-site at the zoo, led by Amran
preserve specimens on their behalf. A notable example Abdullah. At 1250 kilograms, 5.58 metres long and with
is the Buaya Puchong, one of four crocodiles that a girth of 3 metres, it remains the largest crocodile ever
inhabited an abandoned mine in the area. This 60-year caught in Peninsular Malaysia. Its size as well as thick
old buaya tembaga (saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus) skin made it difficult to preserve, needing a number
was caught on 25 March 1997 at kilometre 22 Jalan of people just to hold it. The crocodile is on exhibit
Puchong, near Kampung Seri Aman, Selangor. It was at the zoo’s Zoology Museum while a replica made of
taken to Melaka Zoo, but died less than three months fibreglass is in the Natural History Museum, JMM’s
later on 17 June. Although it had three bullets lodged in collection.
its body, it likely died of old age; being toothless, it had
difficulty chewing and had to be force-fed. Ivan, our pet iguana

Jean Leong’s son, U-Hon, with his pet iguana. Ivan came from South America; we bought him from a pet shop in
Brickfields years ago. He only measured six inches at the time, but
iguanas can grow up to 3-4 feet within a few years. We purchased
him for RM 500+ and had to obtain a licence from PERHILITAN to
keep him as a pet. Ivan loved to eat grapes, but his daily diet was
mainly greens. He was so adorable, nodding his head at us when he
was satisfied with his food. He also loved being sprayed with water,
especially on hot days. Ivan died of food poisoning and kidney
failure (possibly caused by pesticides on the greens). The night Ivan
died was the first time I heard my dog cry. He used to sleep next to
Ivan’s cage every night and missed him as much as we did.

We sent Ivan’s body to Muzium Negara to be preserved, but could
not follow up as the department had moved out of the museum.
After I became a museum volunteer, I went to an exhibition at the
Royal Museum and found out that all wildlife exhibits were being
stored there. I enquired about Ivan; we provided details so the
officer could locate him – not difficult as Ivan had a broken toe on
his left leg after we had accidentally closed the cage door on him.
The officer in charge was very helpful and even sent us photographs.
Seeing Ivan at the exhibition brings back so many memories. I am
also very impressed with how well the museum has preserved him
– his skin colour looks almost the same as when he was still alive.

– Jean Leong (donor) –

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Fibreglass replica of Rainbow Trout
– finishing, or colouring technique,
applied using air brush by Mohd.
Ridhuan and Mohammed Ali during
their training at AIT in Wisconsin.

For Ali, the most exciting project he undertook was the course, especially new skinning techniques and effective
preservation of two elephants killed by a train in Labis, mounting strategies. They were allowed to bring back
Johor (see inset). This was in 2005, just three years after the animals they preserved and the exhibition displayed
he joined the Department as a museum assistant. Ali a number of their mountings.
was fortunate to have as his seniors Amran Abdullah Ali received promotion to assistant curator in 2016
& Abdul Rahman. Both were only a few years from and went on to obtain a Bachelor in Sociology and
retirement, but they were still very passionate and were Anthropology from USM the same year; this was done
happy to share all they knew. He was also lucky to through distance learning while juggling his work and
have as a mentor Abdullah Abu Hassan, affectionately a young family (Ali is a proud father of two girls and a
known as Haji Dollah. Although retired in 1991, Haji boy). In parting, Ali said:
Dollah spent his free time at the museum, sharing his
knowledge with the newcomers. It is important that our generation does a good
In 2012, Ali had the opportunity to undertake a more job maintaining the faunal artefacts before we
formal education in taxidermy. Together with his hand over to the next generation. My seniors
colleague, Mohd Ridhuan, he attended the American were happy to pass on all their knowledge to
Institute of Taxidermy (AIT) in Wisconsin, USA, to Ridhuan and myself. They set high standards
obtain a Diploma in Taxidermy. The course ran for two and I will make sure I do my part for the next
months and to obtain his certificate, he had to mount generation.
the following on his own: two birds, a head trophy, seven Such is the dedication of museum staff! With many
fishes of various sizes and one small mammal. Dead animals already extinct and more on the verge of
animals were provided and they had to start the process extinction, preserved remains of these animals become
from skinning all the way to building and mounting the
animals on artificial bodies. Even with so many years an invaluable tool in the study of natural history. w
of experience, Ali said that he learnt a lot during the

Mohammed Ali with the
White-tailed Deer head
trophy he mounted during
his training at AIT in
Wisconsin.

Common Green Iguana,
donated by Jean Leong
and preserved by Mohd.
Ridhuan in June 2019.

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The Labis Elephants

A skull of an elephant welcomed visitors to the Wonders The team was led by Haji Dollah, retired by then but
of Taxidermy: Eternal Life exhibition. Preserving this hired as a consultant for the project. They were divided
mammal and that of its companion was the most into two groups, one for each elephant. Both groups
memorable of Ali’s projects. found the same problem when they opened the graves
In 2005, the museum was informed by PERHILITAN – the elephants were still in the process of decaying
that two elephants had been hit by a train and offered and the stench was overpowering! They had no choice
their bodies to the museum, which sent a team to though but to go ahead with the excavation. Thankfully,
investigate. The train track was on a ridge and, when there was a river nearby where they could wash the
the train hit the elephants, they had fallen on opposite skeletons. The North Labis Estate kindly provided two
sides of the ridge – one within the North Labis Estate living quarters for them – one for them to stay and the
and the other in a kampung. Sadly, both elephants were other to store the skeletons.
very young, just over twenty years old (elephants have a They worked on-site for around 21 to 24 days, carefully
lifespan of around seventy years). The elephants were removing the decaying flesh and organs from the
not in a good shape – the trunk of one elephant had skeletons. They became accustomed to the smell, but
been cut off while the other had its tail missing. Hence, the curious on-lookers gave them a wide berth! The
the team decided to preserve their skeletons instead of smell lingered on them and they dared not sit down at
the skins. On advice that elephants require a year to local restaurants to eat, but always had packed meals.
decompose, they buried the bodies where the elephants Ali said that he bought new clothes to work in and
had fallen, marked the spots and returned after a year. threw them all away before returning home. When

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the skeletons were brought back to the Department
of Museums building, the smell permeated the entire
building and the staff complained. Finally, the skeletons
were taken up to the rooftop and left there to dry until
the smell was completely dissipated; this took a month.
Due to lack of space and the closing of the Natural
History Gallery in 2007, the skeletons were never
displayed at Muzium Negara. However, one of the
elephants was assembled and displayed at the Natural
History Museum in Putrajaya when it opened in 2010,
but was dismantled and stored when the museum closed
in 2017. The elephant skull at the exhibition is from the

elephant that fell into the kampung. w

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From the Jungle to the Canvas:

Two perspectives on the representation of
the Malaysian forest in figurative painting

Josiane Reggane

One might think there is a global consensus about the meaning of the
word ‘forest’. But when it comes to representing what lies behind the
word, things become more complicated. ‘Forest’ is a concept created and
defined by man. It cannot, therefore, be approached in a neutral way.
Our perception of the forest is made through a subjective gaze imbued
with culture, language, experiences, knowledge, values and beliefs, all of
which act as filters. A visual analysis and contextualisation of the work
of two artists from different backgrounds and living in different times
and spaces who both explored the complexity of depicting the Malaysian
forest, can help in our understanding of the evolution over time of our
perception of forest.

Background image: Marianne North Gallery,
Kew Gardens, Richmond, United Kingdom.

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Marianne North: The Borneo Forest as a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’

introduced her to a circle of scientific men, including:
Sir Edward Sabine, president of the Royal Society;
Francis Galton, one of the pioneers of eugenics; Sir
William Hooker, England’s most famous botanist and
first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens; and his son
Joseph who succeeded him at Kew Garden and was her
close friend.

The authority of science

Marianne North (1830-90) was a prolific painter whose Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace were certainly
work can still be seen today at the Royal Botanic Gardens, the most influential of her scientific acquaintances. She
Kew (England). She left an important manuscript repeatedly met Darwin, the cousin of an old friend
retracing her life and travels which provides valuable of her father, and corresponded with him. Marianne
contextual information on her work, her state of mind, was proud of his interest in her work and followed his
and serves as a complement to her paintings in the advice when he suggested that she travel to Australia.
North Gallery of Kew Gardens. Miss North travelled In 1881, she wrote about a meeting she had with him:
throughout the continents; everywhere she went, she
painted – and always in the same way. Most of her ‘He sat on the grass under a shady tree, and talked deliciously on
work consists of small canvases representing detailed every subject to us all for hours together, or turned over and over
and colourful full-length portraits of flora, focusing again the collection of Australian paintings I brought down for
attention on the subject while retaining elements of him to see, showing in a few words how much more he knew about
the environment as context. The remainder comprises the subjects than anyone else, myself included, though I had seen
a few landscapes and still lifes. Her two trips to Borneo them and he had not.’
– the first in February 1876 then four years later in May-
July 1880 – were no exception. She was also acquainted with Wallace, with whom she
maintained a correspondence. It is not known when she
Growing up in a wealthy Victorian family first met him but she had certainly read his book before
following in his footsteps to the palace of the Rajah of
Marianne North came from a prosperous, well-educated Sarawak in Borneo, where he had stayed in the 1850s.
background. Her father was a Liberal Member of Referring to his book in her memoirs she wrote: ‘…was
Parliament widely acquainted with the scientific, artistic, a Bible to me in Java, all he says being thoroughly true.’ These
and political figures of the day. She received a formal eminent scientists brought her botanical knowledge and
education and practised watercolour painting on her influenced her view of the world.
own until 1867 when the Australian artist Dowling gave
her some lessons in oil painting. Her father’s influence From the Bornean Forests
was in many ways decisive. At a very young age, he From the Bornean Forests
introduced her to the hobby of collecting and the
painting of flowers. He passed on his interest in travel Cloc kwFirsueitfraonmd tfolopw-leerfto: f the Bitter Wood.
and his habit of recording his journeys in a diary and • Blue-flowered climber and a common swamp plant.
sketchbook. He also left her an inheritance that allowed • Flowers and butterflies.
her to travel and live independently. But above all, he • Foliage, flowers and fruit of a swamp shrub.
• Orchid and ferns.
• Flowers of the Jasmine and Pink Begonia.
• Tapang tree.
• Flowers and fruit of the Barringtonia.

Centre-top: Flowers from Sarawak.
Centre-bottom: Singular Plants of the Dark Forests of Singapore
and Borneo.

130

131

Borneo landscape. Butterflies
sipping on Cassia flowers, with
a Cassia tree in the distance.

A Eurocentric vision of the world scientific and a theological vision of nature, tending to
assimilate beauty with harmony.
The late 19th century in Europe was a time of scientific
discovery, colonial appetites and increased ease of The lush and exotic lost paradise
travel. Darwin’s seminal book, On The Origin of Species
(1859), laid out the scientific theory of natural selection Beauty and harmony are present everywhere in
as the process by which populations evolve. Considered Marianne North’s paintings. Even though she was
the foundation of evolutionary biology, this book also aware of the relentless struggle for survival, she could
had a wider influence. In botany – as in the colonial not but be amazed by the apparent beauty of the flora.
enterprise – the fittest and strongest seemed to prevail ‘The forest was a perfect world of wonders.’ And that is what
over the weakest in the competition for resources. she represented. For her, the forest was above all the
Europeans considered themselves to be civilised, thus exotic flora it contained. She didn’t paint many trees,
among the strongest. They made a point of exploring and she chose only the species of flowers she found
what they considered as ‘primitive societies’ to confirm interesting.
the theory of the evolution of species. Marianne painted in her distinctive style: the highlight
These theories can also be seen in Marianne North’s on the plant fills most of the canvas, leaving limited
personal concept of the natural world. When depicting space for the background which was either the original
carnivorous pitcher plants, North does not regard them environment or, in most cases, when the plant was
as ‘dangerous murderers’ but places them at the centre brought to her in an arranged setting. The colours are
of her work. They perfectly illustrate the hierarchy and bright, vivid and the paintings are neat. There is no
domination system in the plant world that also plays imperfect detail. When present, insects and foliage are
out between humankind and the animal kingdom. always charming, completing the scene in a refined way.
Painting these species in a delicate and beautiful way, She was not a scientist; accuracy and detail were not her
North highlights the contrast between the continual main concerns. Specimens are presented at the height
struggle for survival in the forest and the natural beauty of their loveliness, and so they would remain because
of the plants. She points out the opposition between a paintings do not fade over time.

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The culmination of her project was the exhibition of her Top: A forest scene at Matang, Sarawak.
paintings. She designed a space to present these ‘exotic’ Bottom: A Bornean Pitcher Plant, Sarawak.
objects taken out of context and displayed very close to Left: Curious Plants from the Matang Forest, Sarawak.
each other, with little connection between them. Going
beyond the Cabinet of Curiosities, she created the
illusion that the forest is an immense garden adorned
with multi-coloured flowers, a romantic representation
of the lost paradise.

An immersive gallery for a human-centric
perspective

In the gallery, her paintings are categorised
geographically. Everything has been thought out. She
decided on the arrangement of each work, the painting
of the door jambs and lintels, and the dado of wood
specimens under the paintings, all coming together
in harmony to seduce the viewer. North created an
immersive and global view of each territory, like a map
of the world on four walls of a room. The viewer stands
in the centre immersed in this forest but with enough
distance to be able, from any point, to rotate through
the entire collection. This is exactly the position the
West was taking at that time: eager to discover the
world but keeping a distance, much as a scientist who
distances himself from nature by virtue of his superior
knowledge.
And this is how it was understood in 1882 when the
gallery opened to the public: ‘We could say that Marianne
North brought the whole world back to England and
put it on display’ [A Weekly Illustrated Journal of Science’].
Sir Joseph Hooker, director of Kew Garden, wrote
in the first official guide: ‘Such scenes can never be
renewed except by means of such records as this lady
has presented to us.’ Individually, Marianne North’s
paintings are valuable as historical and even scientific
documents. This gallery represents a fantasy world that
still triggers our imagination, 150 years after its creation.

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Johan Marjonid: an organic connection with the forest

In the 21st century, the forest remains at the centre Top: Johan Marjonid. Image credit: Arnaud Humbert
of our concerns, not anymore as a place to explore, Bottom: Tranquility at Sg Selantan, Royal Belum. 68cm 175cm.
but rather as a place to protect. Two main elements
have triggered this paradigm shift. Firstly, mankind
realised that science and progress had led to the over-
exploitation and destruction of the forest which put life
and the planet at risk. Secondly, man is no longer placed
at the centre of the world, separate from nature. Both
are parts of the same ecosystem, interconnected and
interdependent. This idea is well reflected in the work
of Johan Marjonid, an established Malaysian artist who,
from the early stage of his career, has chosen the forest
as a subject matter and, more specifically, presents a
realistic representation of the tropical rainforest.
Johan Marjonid’s work differs in many ways from that
of Marianne North. He uses large formats wherein
the focus is not on a specific plant but on the whole
landscape. He uses a rather monochromatic palette.
And first and foremost, he did not discover the forest
through journeying to exotic places: the rainforest has
always been part of his life, an element of his own
ecosystem.

Growing up in a Malaysian Kampung

Johan comes from the southern state of Johor where
he was born in 1968 in Ayer Baloi, Kampung Jelutung.
He lived there until he moved to the city to further
his education, studying art at the University Teknologi
MARA (Shah Alam) and graduating in Fine Arts in
1991. Living in a kampung close to the forest in a family
of farmers, Johan has been acquainted with the forest
from a very young age. He remembers spending a lot
of time there with his father who taught him about
the jungle and how to behave in its environment. He
learned how to clear without damage and how to shift
cultivation so as not to exhaust the soil. He came to
respect the forest as a living entity. He also discovered
a lot about flora and fauna from his own experience –
and until today he continues to develop his knowledge
through reading and research.

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A sensitive and sensorial connection with environment and conditions are never identical, the
the forest sensations are never the same. Transferring these
unique immersive experiences to the canvas in order to
Even though Johan now lives in an urban environment, transport the viewer into this multisensory dimension is
he regularly goes into the forest, not only because it is not an easy task for the painter who wants to stay true
a source of inspiration, but also because for him it is a to reality.
place to recharge and meditate. More than seeing the
forest, he ‘feels’ it. He is very sensitive to the surrounding An invitation to experience the jungle
atmosphere. Johan recalls the precise location and
environmental condition of the scene for each of his Among the many challenges Johan faces to produce
paintings: whether it was morning or afternoon, dark or realistic immersive works is size. Painting on huge
light, before or after the rain, humid or dry, his memory canvases requires a sharp eye to catch the light and
is full of sensations. select and mix colours in order to create the impression
He can describe the particulars of the rainfall: the of natural shades. It also demands a good command of
physical sensation of the rain, the odour, the humidity, space, composition, and proportion. He does not only
the patter, and he likes when the forest is fresh and want to be realistic, but he also wants his paintings to
cool after the rain. His approach is holistic, even entice viewers to walk inside. This brings a supplementary
differentiating rainfall at different locations. As the challenge requiring a mastery of perspective and visual
angles to create an immersive experience.

135

Reading his work can be likened to viewing the forest two main ways. Many choose to show the result of
as if we were within. One can feel every element: the destruction and shock the viewer with pictures of
temperature, humidity, darkness, topography, flora, polluted and devastated landscapes, as highlighted by
fauna. All these elements are treated equally, whether Serena Abdullah: ‘Johan Marjonid does not dwell, lament or
at the forefront or in the background. There is no highlight the depletion of Malaysia’s tropical rainforests, but his
highlight; the eye of the viewer is not directed to any realist paintings promote the tropical nature and the environment’.
specific element but is free to watch as he sees fit. The Each time he visits the forest he is sad to notice the
main point is to show the true beauty of the forest, to progressive devastation but, rather than depicting
document it and to raise awareness of what humans are it, he prefers to show what the forest is: tranquillity,
destroying. beauty and even mystery. Moreover, when most artist
nowadays present abstract or conceptual works using
Rising awareness on ecology through a mixed media or modern technology, he chooses a
positive angle conventional realistic style of painting on canvas.

Johan Marjonid is an active advocate for the protection Top: The Lost World of Brinchang. 76 cm x 188 cm.
of the rain forest, and was invited to exhibit and paint Bottom: Tranquility at Sg Ketir. 68-175cm.
for Rainforest Painting Demonstration at World Expo Facing page: ’Untitled’. Image credit: Arnaud Humbert
2000, Hannover, Germany. He distinguishes himself
from most of his contemporary fellow artist dealing
with environmental issues and the deforestation in

136

The world as an ecosystem Two styles, two visions, but the same
fascination for the forest
The immersive experience created by Johan Marjonid
differs from Marianne North in that it is present in each Like any valuable work of art, all these paintings
canvas and not generated by an aggregation of small, reflect their eras and the debates and the values that
juxtaposed paintings. Furthermore, the immersion is not characterise them. Both representations are true to their
created by the feeling of being at the centre surrounded time and are complementary to each other. The forest
by elements of the forest. It is rather an invitation is inherently unique and multiple. Both artists have a
to enter the forest space. In the work of Marianne common passion for the forest and a consciousness
North, the proportions within a canvas or between the that some of the species or locations were already
surrounding canvases are not real, whereas in Johan’s disappearing because of human activities even when
paintings, the size of the trees is proportionate and they were being painted. Art is a means to share with
the absence of colours or the rather monochromatic the audience and record for posterity and, above all,
brownish-green renders a visual experience closer to
reality. keep the forest alive. w

All Johan’s works are actual depictions of Malaysian Image credits:
forests. To fully understand his subject, he frequently Marianne North’s paintings:
goes camping in his favourite locations: Gunung The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
Stong in Kelantan; Gunung Tahan, Taman Negara and CC BY-NC-ND, https://artuk.org/visit/venues/marianne-
Endau-Rompin in Pahang; and Royal Belum in Perak. north-gallery-5000.
He takes many photographs and spends time studying
the elements: the trees, the roots, the foam, the leaves, Johan Marjonid’s paintings:
the dead trunks, the temperature, the topography. The All images are courtesy of the artist (Johan Marjonid)
representation on the canvas of a living forest seen at unless specified otherwise.
human height allows him to put Man in his rightful
place, that of a small element in an ecosystem.

137

From Bacteria to Barnacles
to Tigers:

The Complex Ecosystem of the
Mangrove Forest

Laurence Maille

The forests of the Malay Archipelago are not all jungles. There are at
least twenty types of forest ecosystems in the region, depending mainly
on substrate and altitude (see page 11: Forest types in Malaysia). In this
paper, we explore one of the richest and most diverse forest ecosystems:
mangroves. Mangroves are coastal fringe forests, which stand as a buffer
zone between the land and the sea. They are found worldwide in the
tropic and subtropic zones on muddy soil, sand, peat, and coral rock.
They provide a range of habitats that extends from land to fresh water,
brackish water and salt water. Their adaptation allows them to grow in
water that is up to 100 times saltier than most other plants.
In 2016, the Global Mangrove Watch team mapped 136,000 km of
mangroves worldwide. A third of all mangroves can be found in
Southeast Asia, with Indonesia alone being home to nearly 20%. In
Malaysia, mangroves cover almost 6300 km2, representing about 2% of
Malaysian territory, found mainly along the west coast of the Peninsula,
on the west coast of Sarawak and on the east coast of Sabah. Despite
many Malaysian mangrove forests being protected under the categories
of ‘Permanent Forest Reserve’ or ‘State, National Parks’, some are still
subject to urban pressure and aquaculture. Until recently, people around
the globe did not realise how essential mangroves were. Instead, they were
viewed as worthless wastelands, swampy, smelly, muddy areas. This vision
allowed the destruction of mangrove forests to clear land for diverse
development. Yet mangroves are not ideal for these industries: acid-

138

Bako National Park, Sarawak.
Image credit: Laurence Maille.

139

NASA Earth Observatory images
created by Jesse Allen, using data
provided by Chandra Giri, U.S.
Geological Survey.

sulphate mangrove soils turn into acidy sulphite when essential for nearby habitats, such as seagrass beds and
exposed to sun and air, creating heavy metal pollution, coral reefs. Seagrass beds provide a further barrier to
and ultimately desert. Today, however, mangroves are silt and mud that could smother the reefs. In return,
valued worldwide as remarkably diverse and essential the reefs protect the seagrass beds and mangroves from
ecosystems. strong ocean waves. Coral reefs are one of the most
Mangroves trees comprise 80 described species. Three- emblematic ecosystems. In Malaysia, reefs are mainly
quarters of the world’s tropical coastlines were once situated on the eastern Peninsula and east Sabah coasts
covered by mangrove, with Southeast Asia hosting and are all fringing reefs, except Sipadan Island, Sabah.
the most extraordinary diversity, from small bushes As a result of their location in shallow water, these
to 60-metre giants. Within a given mangrove forest, reefs are more sensitive to the changes (e.g. sea level,
different species occupy distinct niches. Some grow in temperature) that endanger their high biodiversity.
the open sea, in sheltered bays, and on fringe islands as
they can handle tidal soakings. Away from the shoreline, A coral reef comprises countless tiny polyps that form a
trees are adapted to drier, less salty soil. Far inland along limestone skeleton, gradually constituting reefs through
the river bank, where sea tides meet fresh water, other their secretions. This skeleton develops continuously,
species of mangroves can still develop. from a few millimetres to several centimetres per year.
Mangroves have adopted a multi-tactic strategy to get In the surface reefs of warm seas low in plankton, as
rid of salt, hoard fresh water and breathe. They can in Malaysia, the polyps live in symbiosis with algae; the
filter salt via their roots or put salt out through the zooxanthellae, protected by the reef, supply them with
bark or the leaves, where it crystallises. Some mangrove oxygen and nutrients. It is these microscopic algae
species concentrate salt on the older leaves that will fall
into the water. Their thick succulent leaves allow them Facing page, clockwise from top-left:
to store fresh water. Some mangroves stick their roots • Kuala Selangor Park
upwards, allowing oxygen to be sucked from the air and • Kuala Selangor Park
out of the water. • Proboscis Monkey in Borneo, Image credit:
Mangroves produce soil by trapping sand, muddy
sediment and natural filters that improve water quality David Dennis, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Bako National Park
• Bako National Park
• Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve
Image credit: Laurence Maille for all images unless
specified otherwise.

140

141

that give the reefs their magnificent colours. However, nutrient-rich droppings nourish the polyps. Some fish
in the event of stress, such as the sudden change in migrate into mangroves to reproduce, their tangled
water temperature or various types of pollution (oils, roots being a safe and secure place away from predators.
sunscreen residues etc.), the polyps then expel the Coral reefs represent only 0.1% of the oceans but
zooxanthellae and at the same time lose their colour. are home to 1/4 of all known marine fish species.
This process, known as coral bleaching, is observed In addition, mangroves are described as the nursery
all over the planet but still not completely understood. grounds for most marine fauna; a study cited by the
Bleached corals are diseased corals: they can heal if the AMNH estimated that 75% of commercially caught fish
symbiosis is re-established by the return of algae, or spend some time in the mangroves or depend on food
alternatively they can die of hunger or disease if the webs that can be traced back to these coastal forests.
stress persists. From bacteria to barnacles to tigers, thousands of
The link between coral reefs and the seagrass beds show species called coastal wetlands home. These habitats are
that mangroves are the base of a complex food chain, especially critical to shore and migratory birds, providing
a privileged area for the spawning and development of shelter and food when they arrive from a long flight. In
species. Mangrove bark and leaves fall into the mud, Malaysia, Kuala Selangor Nature Park is an exceptional
settling there to decompose or to be eaten by worms, location to observe migratory birds (57 species) from
crabs, clams or other shellfish that eat debris. Their September to April and resident birds (98 species) all
nutrients are thus released into the water and are carried year round. Mangroves are also hunting grounds for
by currents to nourish the coral polyps. In some cases, crab-eating monkeys and giant monitor lizards, and
the link is more direct. The fish that come to the reefs provide a home for vulnerable species such as Olive
migrate with the tide into the mangroves, where they Ridley turtles and dugongs. Mangroves on Borneo
feed. When they return to their habitats, their mangrove host one iconic endangered species, the proboscis

Mangrove Gobbie at Kuala Selangor Park.
Image credit: Laurence Maille.

monkey, which is in urgent need of protection. The Mangrove forest at Kuala Selangor Park.
decreasing population of this endemic primate can only Images credit: Laurence Maille.
be observed in sixteen locations globally – all situated
on Borneo, seven in Malaysian territory. Mangroves Glossary
house endangered species and play an essential role in Acid-sulphate soils are water-logged soils with
protecting against erosion, wind, storms, and tsunamis. almost no oxygen present. They contain iron
A mangrove section of 30 trees per 0.01 hectare with sulphide (pyrites) in minute crystalline form. If
a width of 100m is enough to reduce the force of a exposed to the air, oxidation occurs producing
tsunami by 90%. sulphuric acid, which is highly corrosive to built
In the state of the World’s Mangrove 2021 Report, works and destructive to the soil itself.
produced by The Global Mangrove Alliance, it has Fringing reefs lie off the coast and are separate
been estimated that mangroves prevent more than $65 from the shore by narrow, shallow lagoons,
billion in property damage and reduce flood risk for unlike other reefs, such as barrier reefs, which are
some 15 million people every year. Humans have taken found in deeper water. Most of Malaysia’s reefs
shelter in mangroves for centuries, and their sediments are fringing reefs.
are sometimes treasured terrain for archaeologists, Seagrass is not a seaweed, it is a type of plant
where traces of the past are trapped and preserved in with long grassy leaves, flowers and seeds that is
peat deposits or muds. Important archaeological sites found in large underwater fields. Seagrasses are
have been found in mangroves all over the world. In one of the most productive ecosystems in the
Malaysia, some of the artefacts dating 200 BCE to 1000 world.
CE found at Pulau Kelumpang, a mangrove island in Zooxanthellae micro-organic algae found on
the Kuala Selinsing estuary, can be seen in Muzium reefs that have a symbiotic relationship with
Negara’s Prehistory Gallery. For centuries, humans coral.
have settled near mangroves, protected from natural
disasters and relying on the wood, medicinal plants, fish
and shellfish they provide.
Every ecosystem is linked and contributes to the
ecosystem of the Earth. Mangroves and their numerous
interactions with coral reef and seagrass bed ecosystems
are an example of the interdependence between
habitats. Interfering or destroying one habitat has
profound consequences on the other – and ultimately
affects the whole ecosystem. Furthermore, mangroves
are incredibly efficient in carbon storage as they can
store four times more carbon dioxide than an equal
area of rainforest. Therefore, beyond their roles in
shoreline and species protection and food and medicine
provision, mangroves are indispensable assets against
the worsening climate change humans urgently have to
face.
This triple benefit leads many countries to include
commitments to protect and restore coastal wetlands
in their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions)
presented during the last COP26 in Glasgow, November
2021. Although these commitments won’t be enough
to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit
global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, they
are, however, one of the most promising nature-based

solutions to reduce the speed of climate change. w

143

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A watercolour drawing of the zebra dove or barred A watercolour drawing of the pied triller or pied
ground dove (Geopelia striata) perched on a purple cuckoo-shrike (Lalage nigra) flying near a durian
mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana). tree (Durio zibethinus).

These drawings are from the collection of 477 natural
history drawings of plants and animals of Malacca
and Singapore commissioned by William Farquhar:
Attribution: National Museum of Singapore, Public
domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Inside back cover. Intentionally left blank
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