18/06/2026

THURSDAY | JUNE 18, 2026

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The green we trade away M ALAYSIA is changing fast. According to Global Forest Watch, Malaysia lost about 530,000ha of natural forest M I N D T H E M I N D

between 2021 and 2025. A 2024 land-use study also reported that nearly 12,000sq km of forest in Malaysia had been converted to other land uses over the past decade. At the same time, new industrial parks, manufacturing hubs and data centres continue to expand. Bank Negara Malaysia has noted that approved data-centre investment alone reached RM144.4 billion between 2021 and the first half of 2025. These figures are often presented as signs of progress. They speak of investment, technology, infrastructure, jobs and national competitiveness. These are important. No country can afford to reject development blindly. But if development begins by removing trees, displacing habitats and putting pressure on water, energy and land, then we must ask a harder question: What exactly are we trading away? The loss is not only environmental; it is psychological. The mind is not separate from its surroundings. We are shaped by the places we live in. Green spaces, trees, natural shade, birdsong, soil, open skies and familiar landscapes are not decorative luxuries; they help regulate the nervous system. They soften stress and give people a sense of continuity, belonging and calm. When these spaces disappear suddenly, people may experience anger, sadness, helplessness and unease. They may not call it eco-anxiety or ecological grief but they feel the disturbance. Mental health is often treated as an individual issue. We tell people to manage stress, practise mindfulness, breathe deeply and build resilience. These are useful tools but they become incomplete when the environment around people is being steadily harmed. A person cannot simply meditate away the distress of watching natural systems disappear. The mind needs safety and safety is also environmental. This is why sustainability must be more than a label attached to modern development. A project should not be called green simply because it belongs to a future facing industry. Electric vehicles, smart factories, data centres and high technology hubs may all have roles to play in economic transformation. But they are not automatically sustainable. A “green” product cannot erase the impact of land clearing. A “smart” facility cannot ignore energy, water,

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“Green growth must begin with respect for the green. It must protect ecosystems, listen to communities and recognise that mental well-being is tied to environmental well-being. When nature is lost, the mind feels it.

Green spaces, trees, natural shade, birdsong, soil, open skies and familiar landscapes are not decorative luxuries; they help regulate the nervous system. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

Foreign investment should not be welcomed because land is easier to clear, approvals are easier to obtain or local resistance is easier to overlook. It should be welcomed because Malaysia has the courage to demand responsible growth. Investors who come here must be expected to respect ecological limits, community well-being and long-term resilience. Green growth must begin with respect for the green. It must protect ecosystems, listen to communities and recognise that mental well-being is tied to environmental well-being. When nature is damaged, the mind feels it. When landscapes are stripped, people carry that loss. The real measure of progress is not how quickly we can build; it is whether what we build allows life to continue well. A nation cannot call itself future ready if it builds the future by weakening the very systems that make the future possible. Dr Praveena Rajendra is the author of Mindprint: Engineering Inner Power for Growth, Purpose and Regeneration. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com Really difficult issues arising from Trump’s gunboat diplomacy abound: the US$300 billion to repay damage to Iran caused by US and Israeli attacks, US$100 million of Iran’s assets illegally frozen by the US, huge rebates to ship owners caused by US-Israeli operations, the destruction of much of southern Lebanon and Israel, annexation of parts of southern Lebanon and billions of dollars of destruction to Beirut and Lebanon’s coast. Not to mention America’s tattered image around the world. Like children, politicians must not be allowed to play with matches. Eric S. Margolis is a syndicated columnist. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com bluffing over the little Gulf War has left him deflated and embarrassed as his pre-election polls drop.

the cumulative impact of multiple developments in the same region? How will land clearing affect heat, drainage, flooding, wildlife movement, water demand, traffic, noise and air quality? Were communities meaningfully consulted? Are investors required to avoid, reduce, restore or compensate for environmental damage in ways that are measurable and enforceable? If the answers are unclear, the public has every right to question the meaning of sustainable development. Too often, investment value is counted immediately while environmental loss is counted late, softly or not at all. We announce billions in investment, projected jobs and industrial capacity. But who accounts for the displaced wildlife? Who accounts for the lost shade, the hotter surroundings, the altered waterways and the emotional burden carried by communities who feel powerless as familiar landscapes change? The mind remembers what the policy document may overlook. It remembers the trees that were there. It remembers the quiet. It remembers the feeling of a place before it was transformed beyond recognition.

biodiversity and community well-being. A “future-ready” project cannot be built by weakening the very systems that make the future liveable. The issue is not anti-development. Malaysia needs investment, jobs, industry, innovation and global competitiveness but development must be held to a higher standard. Growth cannot mean that nature is treated as empty space waiting to be converted. Forests, wetlands, agricultural land and wildlife habitats are living systems. They cool the air, hold water, protect biodiversity, reduce flooding risks and support human well being. This is where regulation becomes critical. Malaysia does have environmental laws, planning processes and impact assessment mechanisms. The concern is whether these mechanisms are strong enough, transparent enough and early enough to prevent irreversible damage. Too often, communities only become aware of environmental change when the clearing has already begun and the decision feels final. Good regulation should not be a box ticking exercise. It should ask difficult questions before land is cleared. What is

Trump’s Pyrrhic victory in the Arabian Gulf DONALD Trump, who managed to evade military service during the Vietnam War through a series of draft deferments, said recently that he viewed himself as a “wartime president”. He was clearly thinking of brass bands, fancy uniforms, medals and snappy honour guards to compliment his continental-sized ego. (ancient Albania) famously said after a series of battlefield victories against the Romans, “one more such victory and I am lost”. Hence, the often-used expression, “Pyrrhic victory”. Trump’s little war against Iran and Lebanon with his favourite ally amounts to a classic Pyrrhic victory. A few thousand bystanders died, missile supplies were exhausted, Iran was pounded by the US and Israel and billions of dollars were wasted in the shootout. Ű BY ERIC MARGOLIS

from American supporters. This was likely the deepest penetration of the US government since the Clinton administration was manipulated by Israel. Yet, there has been very little public outrage in the US. Trump, who is a key ally of Israel’s expansionist far right government, has so far soft-soaped this explosive issue and distracted voters. Israel’s profound influence over the Trump administration has angered many Americans Last week we even heard proposals from some American allies of Israel that the US armed forces were to be put under joint US and Israeli control. The US-Iran-Israel war was the test run for this new concept. We shall see much more if the Epstein files are ever released. Meanwhile, the US flounders without any clear idea of what to do with Iran. Trump’s

He got his wish and it has been a disaster. He fired some of his best senior officers who would not kowtow to his amateur schemes, threw monkey wrenches into the Pentagon machinery and used the US military to conduct illegal assassinations of foreign figures. “Careful what you wish for” should have been engraved on his Oval Office desk. As the renowned general, King Pyrrhus of Epirus

Iran estimates US$300 billion (RM1.23 trillion) in damages. For what? Primarily, to distract public attention from the festering Epstein scandal. That ploy worked brilliantly – initially. The remarkable Israeli agent of influence, Jeffrey Epstein, implanted himself at the heart of US power, using Levantine charm, huge amounts of bribery and powerful influence