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MNS' History |
03-06-2007
The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) was incepted as the Malayan Nature Society in 1940. As with many institutions and organizations that predate the country’s independence, its' genesis was through the efforts of British expatriates deeply interested in the natural heritage of the land.
The initial founders of the society were the British administrators working in Malaya. Many of them were keen naturalists who had accumulated together a good collection of field notes. They felt these notes were invaluable records on the country’s natural history and should be published. Thus, in 1940, the Malayan Nature Journal (MNJ) and the Malayan Nature Society were born. MNJ Volume 1 No 1 was published in August 1940 on Natural Beauty Spots of Malaya, And the Need for Their Preservation.
The Society began with 112 members in 1940. Although the Second World War left its scars, by 1948, our membership had risen to 400 members. The 1,000-member mark was passed in the early 1980’s, and the 2,000th in 1986.
From its inception, MNS knew that the key to success would be the active involvement of members from all walks of life. The MNS was initially managed by a core group of volunteers who formed the Council and the then Permanent Finance Committee. This Council used to take care of the day-to day running of the Society, while the Permanent Finance Committee was the guardians of the Society’s funds. However, as the scope and extent and of the Society evolved into what it is today, full time staffs were recruited, and we now have 27 staff working at the Secretariat, that sees to the day-to-day running of the Society.
Our first major conservation project was to protect the Giant Leathery Turtle way back in the 1960s (check out MNJ Issue Vol 19 (2&3). The project, lead by the late Dr E. Balasingam, researched on the egg laying habits of the turtles, and was the first ever turtle eggs collection scheme for conservation done in this country. The hatchery programme that was started in 1961 was subsequently managed by the Fisheries Department.
While a whole range of activities are carried out nationwide by our members, it is the mega initiatives that garner the most public support. In 1977, MNS jointly with 5 other organizations, took out a half-page advertisement in a national daily and launched the Save the Endau-Rompin National Park Campaign. There were no immediate end to logging, but licenses were not renewed for the area after the 1977 concessions expired. 1985 marked a historical year – MNS initiated the Malaysian Heritage & Scientific Expedition to Endau Rompin. 1993 saw the Johor part of Endau-Rompin gazetted as a State Park, culminating years of discussions with the state government which stemmed from the Expedition.
Subsequently, 1993 saw MNS once again leading another landmark initiative – the year long Malaysian Heritage & Scientific Expedition to Belum, launched by the then His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong IX Sultan Azlan Shah. This expedition documented the diversity and richness of flora & fauna of the area, while gathering baseline data to assist the Perak state government in the area’s management. After year of continuous advocacy and other related initiatives, the Royal Belum State Park was legally gazetted as a totally protected area in May 2007.
Over the years, MNS, through its members, partners and supporters, has played an integral role in the conservation of Malaysia’s natural heritage. Being the largest membership based environmental organization in the country and with a string of success secured under our belt, we have now clearly become a strong voice for conservation in Malaysia; presenting our stand in promoting and ensuring responsible environmental stewardship in the country. A chronology of some of our notable events and achievements can be found here.
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