There is much hype in Malaysia and around many other countries about non-governmental organisations (NGOs) collaborating with the government and industry among others. But, the reality is somewhat different!
Of course, there are great variations among the NGO community—depending on who set them up, their objectives and how they are run. Those that are really independent of government and industry are the ones I would like to write about. The others are likely to have conflicts of interest or are joining in ‘greenwashing.’ The other aspect is their capacity, especially in terms of knowledgeable staff of the NGOs, as well as their financial independence.
