Overview

Sahabat Alam Malaysia – Friends of the Earth Malaysia (SAM) is an independent non-profit environmental organisation established in 1977 and registered under Malaysia’s Societies Act 1966. It has been a member of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) since 1983 and operates from offices in Penang and Marudi, Sarawak. SAM works towards environmental justice by promoting sustainable natural resource management and addressing issues that affect communities across Malaysia.

Mission and focus areas

SAM’s main goal is to ensure development choices and natural resource management are ecologically sound and equitable. Its work spans pollution control, land use, forests and biodiversity protection, water and marine conservation, agriculture, climate change, and indigenous peoples’ rights. SAM links environmental justice with social justice and engages in community empowerment, advocacy and campaigns that aim to influence public policy and public participation.

Structure and governance

SAM operates as a national non-government organisation with two regional offices. The headquarters in Penang focuses on issues in Peninsular Malaysia, while the Marudi office handles activities in Sarawak. As part of Friends of the Earth International’s global network of member groups, SAM collaborates with local and international partners on advocacy and research. Leadership and governance details such as board composition are not extensively published on the official site but align with its non-profit framework and membership of FoEI.

Programs and offerings

SAM delivers a range of outputs including media statements, reports, articles and public submissions on environmental and social issues. It maintains programmes on forests and biodiversity, climate change, agriculture, development and planning, marine and fisheries conservation, and pollution and extractives. Its resources include analytical reports and educational content that address sustainability-related challenges in Malaysia. These offerings support awareness, policy dialogue and community mobilisation among practitioners, civil society and policymakers.

Our mission

1. To ensure environmental and social justice, human dignity, and respect for human rights and peoples’ rights so as to secure sustainable societies.
2. To halt and reverse environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, nurture the earth’s ecological and cultural diversity, and secure sustainable livelihoods.
3. To secure the empowerment of indigenous peoples, local communities, women and other stakeholders in their participation in decision making.
4. To bring about transformation towards sustainability and equity between and within societies with creative approaches and solutions.
5. To engage in vibrant campaigns, raise awareness, mobilise people and build alliances with diverse movements, linking grassroots, national and global struggles.​