Celebrating 20 Years of EcoKnights: Building a Sustainable Malaysia Together

Founded by Dr. Yasmin Rasyid back in 2005, EcoKnights has grown into a leading Malaysian environmental NGO, tirelessly championing sustainability through advocacy, grassroots engagement, strategic partnerships, and meaningful fundraising initiatives. For 20 years, EcoKnights is constantly mobilised by a team of diverse individuals; from like minded officers, passionate interns, and dedicated volunteers. In which all are in efforts to promote sustainability. As EcoKnights proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary, we take a moment to reflect on two transformative decades of environmental action, long-term impacts, community empowerment, and purposeful collaboration. 

Driving Change Through Awareness and Action

At the heart of EcoKnights lies a deep commitment to advocacy. Over the past 20 years, we have been a loud and consistent voice in shaping environmental narratives in Malaysia. From championing climate justice to pushing for responsible consumption and waste management, our advocacy efforts have led to national conversations on sustainability. 

Thus, our efforts have been recognized in various awards: 

• Best Sustainable Community Development Programmes at South East Asia Business 2021
• NGO Leadership Award at Golden Globe Tiger Award 2019 
• “Inisiatif Sukarelawan Negara Taman” Award 2019 
• Brand Influencer and Community Leader of the Year 2018 (Awarded to our Founder, Dr. Yasmin Rasyid)
• Best NGO Leadership at World CSR Congress 2017

We believe that knowledge drives change. Through educational campaigns, school programs, and digital outreach, we have empowered Malaysians of all ages to take environmental issues seriously and act in ways that matter—both individually and collectively.

Empowering Grassroots for a Greener Future

EcoKnights’ foundation was built with communities in mind; through our grassroots efforts have brought real and lasting change. For two decades, we’ve worked hand-in-hand with local communities to provide the tools, training, and support needed to take environmental stewardship and community resilience into their own hands. 

We engage with the community through various workshops such as: The Good Oil workshop, (teaching people how to turn used cooking oil into soaps), composting workshop, terrarium workshop, clean water and sanitation workshop and many more.

We believe that true sustainability begins at home, and our work continues to ensure that every Malaysian has the opportunity to be part of the solution.

Collaborating for Impact

No movement succeeds in isolation. EcoKnights’ journey over the past 20 years has been powered by strategic partnerships across sectors—corporate allies, educational institutions, government agencies, and fellow NGOs. To name a few we have partnered with UNDP, SPAN, Yayasan Hasanah, ASEAN Foundation, MBSB Bank, HSBC Bank, Gamuda Land,  Sime Darby Property, Frangipani Langkawi, Malaysia Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTCC), DHL, Jebsen & Jessen SEA, Universiti Malaya and more. Through collaborations with like-minded organizations, we’ve expanded our reach, deepened our impact, and created synergies that drive real progress.

With these partnerships and collaboration we have achieved over 1,000 environmental outreach programs since 2005. More than 100,000 Malaysians engaged directly to promote sustainability lifestyle.

Additionally, through collaboration alongside students, corporate partners and local communities, we achieved a multitude of numbers in various programmes. 

• Tree4Us (T4Us), our tree planting programme, has planted over 5,000 trees nationwide.
• Guardians Against Garbage (GAG), we have collected an approximate of 8 tonnes worth of waste from clean-ups at beaches and rivers. 
• ‘Old Soles New Life’ programme which is the first of such in Malaysia, has collected an estimate of 7 tonnes; in which some would be upcycled into rubber blocks for playground mats, and some were given away as pre-loved shoes. 

Since 2008, we have organised our annual Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) being an example of bringing together artists, environmentalists, and audiences in a shared celebration of planet and purpose. This makes a total of 17 editions of the KLEFF that have been managed by our passionate team, supported by filmmakers and partners who believed in the same goal – creativity as a voice for sustainability.

Sustaining Our Vision

For the past 20 years, EcoKnights has been driving change through grassroots action, education, and advocacy—powered largely by dedicated partnerships and collaborations. Fundraising hasn’t been a major focus in our journey so far, as we’ve prioritised building impact on the ground.

As we look ahead, we’re reaching out to those who believe in our mission to help us sustain and grow our efforts. We are beginning to actively fundraise to support the future of our work—ensuring our programmes, initiatives, and advocacy can continue making a difference. Your support will help us keep pushing forward and nurturing the next generation of environmental leaders.

Looking Forward

The story of EcoKnights is a story of the collective effort of passionate individuals, dedicated communities, and powerful partnerships. As we commemorate 20 years of impact, we look ahead with renewed purpose. The challenges facing our environment are urgent, but so too is our resolve.

We are also looking forward to our upcoming events such as: more T4Us, and GAG; to achieve even bigger milestones and ensure a greener Malaysia. There is also a new campaign to look out for called ‘Racing For a Better Planet’, where EcoKnights’ team will be participating in various endurance races while promoting our cause in sustainability and environmentalism. This also includes a new big plan we call ‘Sustainability Week Kuala Lumpur’, an exciting week long of celebrating sustainability. Do keep an eye out for updates!

Here’s to the next 20 years of advocacy, community, partnership, and action. Together, we are EcoKnights. Together, we can build a greener, more resilient Malaysia.

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EcoKnights In The Past 20 Years