One Vision: Development of the Malua Partnership Wildlife Conservation Agreement

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The dichotomy between conservation and development has been instrumental in the inception of a pioneering conservation initiative for Malua Forest Reserve (MFR) as the main stakeholders of wildlife conservation have recognised the need not only to identify a common vision but more crucially, to nurture a symbiotic relationship through collaborative management. Building the bridges of trust and collaboration has been vital in the whole process which ultimately culminated in the drafting and the development of the Malua Partnership Wildlife Conservation Agreement (MPWCA). Research outcomes of the 'Oil Palm Plantations, Communities and Forest Use Study (Malua II) in July 2011 formed the foundation for the MPWCA. The main objective of the Agreement is to create a conservation partnership between the public sector and the oil palm plantations based on a common vision, focusing on mutuallybeneficial solutions. The MPWCA also takes into account the principles and requirements of
internationally-recognised accreditation bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil
(RSPO) in order to ensure compliance to good governance. After several successive revisions and stakeholder consultations, the
Agreement was formally endorsed by the Sabah Forestry and Wildlife Departments and oil palm companies in November 2012. To this end, an Implementation Committee for the MPWCA was established prior to the signing with its pending progress to be documented in Article 3 - The Art of Collaboration: Collaborative Management and the Implementation of the Malua Partnership Wildlife Conservation Agreement.