2025 has been a year of meaningful progress for FSC Malaysia - turning year of groundwork into tangible outcomes for forests, communities, and markets.
Key Highlights from 2025
🌱 Malaysia’s first FSC-certified bamboo and rubberwood A significant milestone for smallholders and Indigenous communities — opening new responsible sourcing pathways and strengthening Malaysia’s sustainable materials landscape. Details here.
🌱 Ecosystem Services & FSC Verified Impact capacity building Through technical training in Sabah, forest managers, researchers, and practitioners strengthened their ability to identify, measure, and demonstrate ecosystem services impacts — bridging forest stewardship with credible, high-integrity data. Details here.
🌱 FSC Malaysia Webinar Training & Knowledge Sharing Our webinar series continued to support companies and forest managers in navigating FSC certification, ecosystem services, trademark use and emerging sustainability expectations including the EUDR. Details here.
🌱 Reaching beyond the FSC community In collaboration with one of Malaysia’s largest mobile companies, a video promoting FSC and responsible forest stewardship reached over 1.3 million people on Instagram, amplifying FSC’s mission well beyond traditional audiences. Details here.
🌱 Indigenous Peoples engagement & dialogue Focused workshops and ongoing engagement reaffirmed that sustainable forest management must be grounded in partnership, respect, and shared responsibility with the communities who have stewarded forests for generations. Details here.
🌱 Greater recognition of FSC within Malaysia’s timber industry For the first time, FSC certification is now included in the Malaysian Timber Industry Board’s ‘Timber Incentive Certification Programme’ supporting broader uptake of FSC Chain of Custody certification. Details here.
(Some) Behind the scenes: A year of coordinated work Behind every milestone is months of planning, coordination, and collaboration across teams and partners.
What remains to be done
We have yet to identify a suitable candidate for our Remedy Framework pilot project here in Malaysia. Building on the knowledge and insights gathered so far, this will be one of the key focus areas of our engagement efforts in 2026.
New members
In 2025, we welcomed Ms Jessie Ooi, who joined FSC Malaysia as Forestry Lead in May 2025. Prior to this role, Jessie held positions as Integrity Coordinator and FSC Assessor at the Assurance Services International (ASI) Asia Pacific office. Her experience in assurance, integrity, and forest management brings valuable perspective and capability to FSC Malaysia’s work.
We also welcomed our new Board of Directors for the 2025/2027 term. At the same time, we extend our deep gratitude to our retiring Directors, Mr Tan Chin Tong and Ms Kanitha Krishnasamy, for their tremendous support, guidance and commitment since the inception of FSC Malaysia. Their contribution have been instrumental in shaping the organisation’s foundation and direction.
Looking ahead 🌳
As we close 2025, we do so with gratitude — for our partners, communities, collaborators, and colleagues across the FSC network. The work continues, but the direction is clear: protecting forests, supporting people, and building credible pathways for nature-positive impact.
Here’s to carrying this momentum into 2026. 🎋
With Gratitude
Our mission - Forests For All Forever - is never achieved alone. We work alongside forest managers, Indigenous communities, businesses, consultants, and FSC colleagues around the world. THANK YOU to everyone who has played a role, big or small, in stewarding forests with care and commitment.
#FSC #ForestsForAllForever #YearInReview #FSCMalaysia #EcosystemServices #FSCVerifiedImpact #Bamboo #Rubberwood #IndigenousPeoples #NaturePositive #Naturebasedsolutions #Impact #Regenerative #Resilience #ResponsibleSourcing #ResponsibleProduction #ResponsibleConsumption #ResponsibleBusiness #Sustainability
Collage of photos (clockwise):
Site of bamboo harvest area at Perak Forest Reserve together with Lucas Loo, Executive Director of SEAD and Orang Asli bamboo harvesters (some areas now included in FSC group certificate (FSC-C195423)
Clouded leopard prints sighted at FSC-certified Deramakot Forest Reserve (FSC-C180387)
Site visit to a smallholder rubber plantation under our Sustainable Rubber project, together with Salahudin Yaacob, Managing Director of CMO Malaysia, Tony Yeap (CEO of IFA), RISDA representatives and smallholder farmers
Site visit to Perak Forest Reserve where bamboo is harvested by Orang Asli
Thermally modified wood (Noawood) made of FSC-certified timber produced by Maran Timber (FSC-C019109)
FSC Verified Impact and Ecosystem Services Technical Training at Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok with Sabah Forestry Department team, Bee Hong (Expanse Consulting), forest researchers, Jessie Ooi (FSC Malaysia Forestry Lead) and other participants
Indigenous Peoples workshop in Sarawak with Nicholas Mujah (SADIA), FSC Indigenous Foundation team, Jessie Ooi (FSC Malaysia Forestry Lead) and other participants
Meeting of FSC International Members in Malaysia