Who We Are

WWF-Malaysia Head Office in Petaling Jaya, Selangor
© WWF-Malaysia/Joann C.L.

WWF-Malaysia (Sabah office) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
© WWF-Malaysia/Harjinder Kler

Established as a national conservation trust on 13 January 1972, WWF-Malaysia began as a humble two person-organisation. Today, we have more than 100 people working for us – from Langkawi to Sabah. Also known as Tabung Alam Malaysia, we are governed by a Board of Trustees.

Besides our headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, we have programme offices in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Kuching, Sarawak as well as site offices in Fraser’s Hill, Langkawi, Malacca, Jeli and Stong in Kelantan, Ma’ Daerah and Setiu in Terengganu.

Our early work focused on scientific research of wildlife and important natural habitats. This work later expanded to the management of protected areas. Today, WWF-Malaysia’s work covers the broader issues of the natural environment, incorporating such aspects as policy work, environmental education, public awareness and campaigns.

WWF-Malaysia currently runs more than 75 projects, including:

Scientific field research
Policy work with the government
Environment education
Public awareness programme
Working with local communities to improve livelihoods and protect the environment
Training and supporting other conservation organisations in Malaysia

We are a Malaysian organisation affiliated with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), the international conservation organisation. Founded in 1961 in the small town of Morges, Switzerland, WWF is a global network in more than 100 countries, including Malaysia (the 17th WWF organisation) and has more than 5 million supporters worldwide. With over four decades of conservation work behind us, WWF is one of the most experienced environmental organisations in the world.

For the Trustees, staff and supporters of WWF in Malaysia and the rest of the world, conservation is not just a job; it is a mission to save the planet.

Mission Statement

WWF's Mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

conserving the world’s biological diversity
ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

Guiding Principles

As part of the WWF Network, our activities are guided by the following principles:

be global, independent, multicultural and non party political
use the best available scientific information to address issues and critically evaluate all its endeavours
seek dialogue and avoid unnecessary confrontation
build concrete conservation solutions through a combination of field based projects, policy initiatives, capacity building and education work
involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the planning and execution of its field programmes, respecting their cultural as well as economic needs
strive to build partnerships with other organisations, governments, business and local communities to enhance WWF’s effectiveness
run its operations in a cost effective manner and apply donors’ funds according to the highest standards of accountability

The battles we fight are not in the trenches but at conferences, forums, on the streets and out in the field. Facing up to charging elephants or enduring long journeys just to get to the project site are part of the job.