There is no #ClimateJustice without #FreedomOfSpeech.
Today, we stand in Tugu Negara, a symbolic place in remembrance of the fallen soldiers who fought for Malaysia's struggle for freedom. The die-in is significant to show that if we fail to safeguard our independence and democracy, we will not survive the climate crisis.
We, the concerned rakyat of Malaysia would like to remind the government that in today’s pressing time of a climate crisis, environmental rights cannot be divorced from the rights of the rakyat.
Environmental rights include the need to protect natural resources such as the forests, seas, rivers and air quality; the need to include biodiversity preservation in all developmental plans; the need to develop strategies for climate mitigation; and our right to demand a stop to overdevelopment that has destroyed our environment, that has killed our plants, animals and has eroded native land and cultural rights . We have seen the destruction to the limestones hills in Ipoh, to the forests in Gua Musang, to violent proposal to degazette the 8,000 year old forest in Kuala Langat, the removal of urban green havens and the list goes on, and has been going on. We want these crimes against our environment, or ecocide, to stop today.
Our goal as a nation as we develop and rebuild from the current pandemic, should not be to exclude any particular group nor to excessively prioritise certain groups in the quest for economic gain. We have been teaching our children from young to respect and protect the environment, but we have disappointed them as adults when they see how our country's environment is destroyed in the pursuit of greedy and irresponsible development.
Environment rights is part of our rights as a citizen, we cannot ignore this anymore.
Prepared by concerned individuals and CSOs
Message during the die-in (originally in Bahasa Melayu)
Friends,
If we don’t demand and take serious action on the climate crisis within these 10 years, disasters like the floods and heat waves that we are already facing now will get worse and more frequent. Our rice farmers are already facing losses due to the destruction of crops, our fishermen have lost their source of livelihood.
If we don’t act seriously in these 10 years, the start of 2030s will be a DARK future. A rise in temperature of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius will burn our future and that of our children.
Malaysia will not survive.
Existence or death?
Death or existence?
Which one do we want?
Today, with climate strikers around the world, we say NO the consortiums of giant financial institutions, Standard Chartered and HSBC. Stop investing and funding the coal industry in Southeast Asia and profiteering from the death and destruction of the environment and society! #NoMoreEmptyPromises
Today say "Shame on you!" to governments in western countries producing the highest carbon emissions and spoke vocally to reduce emissions, and yet negotiating to lower commitments for climate finance, and compensation that of loss and damage to developing countries in the Global South most affected by the impact of the climate crisis, including Malaysia.
Today we say NO to climate policies that do not place the well -being of the people and the earth at the forefront, and set aside the voices of workers, women, youth and marginal voices.
Today we say NO to laws that restrict freedom of speech to criticize leaders and governments. The mandate of the people must be respected, the voice of the people must be heard, not silenced.
Stop intimidating activists,
Stop intimidating women,
Stop intimidating workers,
Stop intimidating young,
Stop intimidating migrants
Stop intimidating the Orang Asli who defend their customary lands and territories.
No Forest will survive greed without democracy
No Rivers will be clean without democracy
No Air will be clean without democracy
There is no climate justice without democracy.
We will drown together if we remain silent.