Trump return wrecks conservation efforts in Malaysia as US aid freeze bites

A small Malaysian wildlife conservation group said it faces financial ruin after US President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day blanket freeze on foreign aid, as the ripple effect of Washington’s policy turn threatens wildlife preservation, refugee relief, and democracy programmes in Southeast Asia, all of which depend heavily on grants.

Arlina Ghani, co-founder of Justice for Wildlife Malaysia (JWMYS), which monitors wildlife court cases and provides training for rangers, said the shift has already “severely impacted” their work.

“We have always relied on grants for our work. It is not sustainable nor ideal, but work such as ours is – while crucial – sadly not sexy. I understand this,” Arlina said in a social media post on Monday evening.

The group, which protects Malaysia’s unique and fragile wildlife by training conservationists on the law surrounding wildlife trafficking cases, said it was scrambling for new funding sources to pay staff as it faces a three-month freeze on at least two grants from Washington. There is no guarantee that the grants will be renewed.

“We have a contingency, but it is simply not enough to cover the salaries we need for these three months,” Arlina said, stressing that they are “a very small grass roots NGO”.

The United States is the largest donor of aid globally, disbursing over US$72 billion in 2023.