Start a national movement connecting M’sia and the Antarctic

I READ with great interest the letter titled “What happens in Antarctica matters to our tropical nation” (The Star, May 19; online at bit.ly/42LFFo7) by Prof Dr Goh Hong Ching of Universiti Malaya and Malay-sia’s National Antarctic Research Centre, and Muha-mmad Fardy Md Ibrahim of the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation.

They rightly highlight that Malaysia, though only a non‑consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty System, has a stake in Antarctica’s future – and that Malaysians must move from awareness of this matter to action.

However, the letter stops at general encouragement. Here are three concrete steps that I believe will make their call actionable:

> Establish a Malaysian Antarctic civil society network: Modelled on the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, this network could bring together universities, youth clubs, local environ­mental NGOs (eg, the Global Environment Centre, WWF‑ Malaysia) and the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation. It would help coordinate public talks, school modules, as well as citizen science on polar‑tropical connections.

> Launch a “polar ambassador” programme for returning tourists: Since Malaysians rank among the top 20 visiting countries to Antarctica, every returning traveller could be invited to a half‑day workshop (organised by the Sultan Mizan foundation and the Tourism Ministry) to become a certified polar ambassador, pledging to give one talk or make a social media post about Antarctic conservation.

> Incorporate Antarctic science into Malaysia’s national curriculum: The Education Ministry, together with the National Antarctic Research Centre, can develop a simple cross‑curricular module (geography + science) for Form Four students, explaining “tropical‑polar teleconnections” and sea‑level risks to Malaysian coasts.

Small, structured actions like these would transform Prof Goh’s plea into a lasting national movement. I urge the relevant ministries and the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation to take the lead.

PHILLIP M. RAJOO

Seremban