Selangor: The Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, today witnessed the signing of a Conservation Agreement for the Penjaga Gunung project under the Forest Conservation Certificate (FCC) in Selangor.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the project will empower Orang Asli communities from Gerachi, Pertak, and Ulu Batu in the 108,000-hectare Hutan Warisan Diraja Selangor. These communities will be trained as nature guides and community rangers through programs conducted with Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).

In his speech, Tengku Amir Shah emphasized that Selangor views its forests as a vital asset that helps regulate the climate, protect rivers, and serve as a defense against volatile weather. The state is committed to strengthening forest governance, restoring degraded areas, and placing communities at the center of conservation efforts.

Tengku Amir Shah highlighted the respect held for the Orang Asli, acknowledging their generations-old guardianship that has protected hills, headwaters, and ecosystems. He also praised the rising generation that joins the call for forest protection, mentioning that young people, through the Selangor Youth Community, now stand alongside Orang Asli and local communities as modern 'penjaga gunung'.

The event, part of the FCC As Malaysia's Trusted Platform for Conservation Finance program, was attended by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup and British High Commissioner to Malaysia Ajay Sharma. Arthur noted that the Penjaga Gunung project is a key initiative under the FCC, expected to nurture a new generation committed to protecting the country's natural heritage.

Arthur stated that the project addresses challenges such as unstable incomes and reduced forest-based livelihoods. Through training and formal recognition as mountain guides, it builds skills, leadership, and sustainable income opportunities.

The Conservation Agreement, signed between Malaysia Forest Fund, CIMB Islamic, Vantage Data Centers, and Your Idea Maker, is expected to create sustainable income through community-based ecotourism, forest restoration, and biodiversity monitoring while preserving traditional ecological knowledge.