By: Mike Paul
Bangkok, Jan 15— Asia Centre has released a new report titled Climate Disinformation in Malaysia: Appropriating Indigenous Peoples’ Entitlements, highlighting how misleading climate narratives are being used to marginalise Indigenous Peoples (IPs) within the Bumiputera category. The report, launched on January 14, 2026, details how policies meant to benefit all Indigenous groups have in practice rendered Orang Asal communities secondary to Malay‑Muslims, exacerbating structural inequalities and land rights violations.
The study identifies four major forms of climate disinformation in Malaysia: corporate greenwashing that reframes destructive projects as “sustainable,” promotion of false climate solutions such as carbon offsets and hydropower dams, appeals to well‑being to justify extractive projects, and denial of deforestation narratives through inflated forest cover data. These tactics, the report says, exclude Indigenous communities from decision‑making, displace them from ancestral lands, and suppress resistance through intimidation and criminalisation.
Dr James Gomez, Regional Director of Asia Centre and research lead, explained: “Politically non‑dominant and economically marginalised, Indigenous Peoples are entitled to special protections aimed at addressing structural inequality. The findings from the report show that, in practice, IPs have become second‑class Bumiputeras. The proposed amendment to the Aboriginal Peoples Act (1954) is expected to address this imbalance, including overlooked inequalities in land administration, education and economic participation. Whether the amendment will be effective remains to be seen.”
He added: “Climate disinformation amplifies this imbalance that IPs in Malaysia face in accessing their legal entitlements. Media portrayals that label Indigenous resistance as ‘anti‑development’ further cultivate public apathy, legitimising business interests and false climate solutions that sideline IPs’ participation and protection. This enables the easy appropriation of IPs’ entitlements.”
The report warns that unless climate disinformation is addressed, genuine climate action will remain compromised. Asia Centre argues that Indigenous entitlements must be recognised and protected before Malaysia can deliver effective climate policies. The organisation has been producing evidence‑based research across Asia, with similar reports on climate disinformation in India, Thailand, and Cambodia.
Asia Centre, established in 2015, is a civil society research institute in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its work focuses on advancing democracy and human rights in Asia through research, advocacy, and collaboration with civil society and international organisations.
– TNS News