Climate change is defined by a gradual change in global temperature and weather patterns over the course of years or decades. Just as modern society continues to suffer at the hands of this phenomenon, Malaysia’s indigenous people (known collectively as the “Orang Asal”, or “Orang Asli” in Peninsular Malaysia), too, have been facing their fair share of challenges. Following the 2020 census, the indigenous population makes up 11% of Malaysia’s 32.4 million population, 206,777 in number. With such a significant population, the indigenous people have all the more reason to not be overlooked.

A prominent cause of global climate change is an increase of greenhouse gasses trapped in our atmosphere which is exacerbated by deforestation. The side effects of the thinning of the ozone layer caused by this include heat waves and flooding. Not only do these pose a major threat to the economy, it also affects our country’s indigenous communities, who live in and rely on the forests as a part of their culture. 

Forests are the indigenous community’s natural habitat and the effects of climate change threaten this and their way of life. Extreme heat is a product of climate change, and can result in the spreading of wildfires. Wildfires have been getting worse with each passing year, and as of June 1st 2023, 511,000 acres of land have been affected by roughly 18,300 wildfires⁷. Once the forest is burnt down or removed through other means, the indigenous people are rendered homeless. As a result of this, they will then be forced to migrate to the city and lose their traditional way of life. Future generations of Orang Asal will lose their indigenous languages, practices and inevitably, their whole culture.