by Chen Yu Xin 陈宇昕
(Translated from Chinese)
From late 2024 to June 2025, I accompanied the Johor branch of the Malaysian Nature Society on an ecological survey of Bukit Lunchu and Bukit Tiz, two hills about 100 meters high in Seri Alam, alongside several Singaporean experts participating in a personal capacity.
To my surprise, there would still be a small patch of pristine forest surrounded by abandoned mining lakes, old rubber groves, and oil palm plantations. The survey revealed rich biodiversity around the two hills, with over 240 plant species, including the critically endangered agarwood tree, alongside 86 bird species, 27 butterfly species, 85 moth species, and 29 dragonfly and damselfly species.
Most striking of all, the team repeatedly encountered the Raffles’ banded langur in the area. This species, found only in southern Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, is extremely rare. Singapore has only about 60 to 70 individuals left, and its numbers in Malaysia are also far from optimistic. It has therefore been classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The discovery of the Raffles’ banded langur in Seri Alam is both exciting and worrying. The two hills are surrounded by housing estates and oil palm plantations. Although the Iskandar Reservoir and its surrounding forests lie to the northeast, and Singapore is to the south, it remains uncertain whether ecological connectivity is still intact. If isolation continues, the Raffles’ banded langur’s population in Seri Alam will be unable to sustain itself and will eventually face extinction.
Ecological connectivity is vital for biodiversity. Singapore has already recognised this by not only establishing nature parks around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, but also gradually linking parks across the island to reduce the threats posed by forest fragmentation. The Malaysian government, too, has acknowledged its importance, especially with the iconic Malayan tiger now numbering only about 150 individuals, perhaps fewer. To safeguard connectivity along the Central Forest Spine, Malaysia introduced the Central Forest Spine Master Plan as early as 2014.
In recent years, the Malaysian Nature Society has also been promoting the Klang Valley Green Connector, called the RUGS (Rantaian Urban Green Spaces) initiative in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area. The goal is to restore 400 hectares of degraded land by 2026 and to connect existing green spaces such as Bukit Kiara, Bukit Gasing, and Taman Tugu. This network would allow the free movement of the 1,294 plant species, 194 bird species, 64 mammal species, and 382 butterfly species found there, helping to enhance genetic diversity for future generations.
Both Singapore and Malaysia have made efforts to safeguard natural spaces and biodiversity. Yet from a biogeographical perspective, the survival and evolution of species transcend national boundaries, and the significance of acting in isolation is limited.
In 1990, three wild elephants crossed the Johor Strait and appeared on Tekong Island, and in 1991, a lone elephant even showed up on Ubin Island, an incident that caused quite a stir. More recently, in September 2023, footage of a Malayan tapir dashing along the Park Connector in Punggol went viral on social media. These animals most likely came from southeastern Peninsular Malaysia to Singapore. For them, this is simply their natural range, nothing unusual at all. What is unusual, however, is how humans have disrupted the connectivity of their habitats. To make up for our mistakes, could the concept of Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine be extended to Singapore? This could give the Raffles’ banded langurs in Seri Alam a chance to reconnect with their Singapore counterparts and open the door for many other species to interact as well.
For many years, Singapore and Malaysia have worked closely together in politics, economics, culture, and education, with the upcoming Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone now on the horizon. Yet, no one has ever asked how cooperation between the two nations might also benefit the shared natural environment. Today, economic development instead leaves conservationists deeply concerned: are thorough environmental impact assessments always carried out before development begins?
Deeper economic cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia should also take ecosystem services into account. A clear example is water: Johor has long supplied water to Singapore. If development leads to deforestation and river pollution, water security will be compromised, impacting not only the people of both nations, but also their economic activities.
In other words, protecting the natural environment is the only way to ensure sustainable economic growth. One can only hope that before economic matters take center stage, more people will initiate discussions on cross-border conservation and ecological protection between Singapore and Malaysia.
Original article: https://www.zaobao.com.sg/forum/views/story20250803-7261067?gift=1b2d5859-2223-46cb-9e6f-bc6176519cf9
