Orang Asli Community and UPSI Students Learn to Protect Nature Together; Supported by CIMB Islamic

TANJUNG MALIM, May 18 (Bernama) -- Deep within the Behrang Forest Reserve, the UPSI Edu-Forest has become more than a conservation site – it is a living classroom where students, researchers and the Orang Asli Semai community of Kampung Tibang are learning how to co-exist with the forest – not from textbooks but from generations of lived knowledge. In collaboration with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (“UPSI”) and Forest House Sdn. Bhd. (“Forest House”), the conservation of UPSI Edu-Forest initiative is supported by CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad (“CIMB Islamic” or “the Bank”) through a RM500,000 contribution through the Bank’s flagship EcoSave-i savings account ("EcoSave-i").

At the heart of this collaboration is the UPSI Edu-Forest, a 25-acre protected site located within the Behrang Forest Reserve and carries a unique triple gazetted protection status, underscoring its ecological significance as part of Central Forest Spine ecological network, Malaysia’s Permanent Reserved Forest, Water Catchment Forest and High-Altitude Conservation Zone. Led by UPSI, the site is redefining how conservation, education and the community can grow sustainably together.