•  
  •  
 

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of Malaysia's orangutan diplomacy as part of public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy in the face of international pressure on the palm oil industry, particularly from the European Union. Inspired by animal diplomacy practices such as China's panda diplomacy, Malaysia in 2024 initiated a plan to make the orangutan a diplomatic symbol to build a positive image and strengthen trade relations with partner countries. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a literature review method that utilizes academic sources, policy documents, non-profit organization reports, and mass and social media. The analysis is conducted through a cultural ecology perspective to understand the relationship between economic and political interests, diplomatic practices, and their impact on the ecology and local communities. The results of the study indicate that orangutan diplomacy has the potential to reduce the animal to a symbolic instrument of the state, while simultaneously obscuring structural problems such as deforestation and the expansion of oil palm plantations that threaten the orangutan's natural habitat. Objections from various conservation organizations state that without a strong commitment to in situ conservation and forest ecosystem protection, this diplomacy tends to be symbolic and counterproductive. This article argues that animal diplomacy should not be separated from ecological and cultural responsibilities, especially in the context of environmental ecosystems and the relationship between people and animals as part of a shared ecological system.

References

Arbar, T.F. (2025, 6 Maret). Lagi Perang Saudara, Tetangga RI Lakukan Diplomasi Gajah dengan Putin. CNBC Indonesia. Diakses pada 13 Desember 2025, dari cnbcindonesia.com.

Chen, H. (2024, 12 Mei). Malaysia’s orangutan diplomacy plan and conservation controversy. CNN. Diakses pada 14 Desember 2025, dari edition.cnn.com.

F., Saragih,H, M., Siburian, J, J. (2023). The Impact of the European Union’s Palm Oil Resolution Policy on the Indonesian Economy Sector. Ilomata International Journal of Social Science,4(3), 495-507.

Hennida, Citra. (2009). Diplomasi Publik dalam Politik Luar Negeri. Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik.

Hughes, R. A. (2024, May 24). ‘Disconnected from reality’: Why wildlife protection groups want animal diplomacy to stop. Euronews Green.https://www.euronews.com.

Liu, C., Ma, L., Liu, S., & Tang, S. (2024). Increasing or depressing: Animal diplomacy impacts inbound tourism of host countries—a natural experiment based on panda diplomacy. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 61, 338–349.

Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation. (n.d.). Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation.https://www.mpogcf.org/.

Nadras, S., Mazlan, R., Hussain, H., & Md Shah, I. (2024). The European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR): Assessing impacts and strategies for Malaysian and the global oil palm industry. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, 19(6), 54–74. https://doi.org/10.46754/jssm.2024.06.005.

Nambiappan, B., Ismail, A., Hashim, N., Ismail, N., Shahari, D. N., Nik Idris, N. A., Omar, N., Salleh, K. M., Hassan, N. A. M., & Kushairi, A. (2018). Malaysia: 100 years of resilient palm oil economic performance (Review Article). Journal of Oil Palm Research, 30(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2018.0014.

Othman, N., Yusop, Z., & Huay, C. S. (2022). The impact of the European Union’s environmental policy towards competitiveness in Malaysia’s palm oil industry. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1102(1), 012033. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1102/1/012033.

Rahman, N. I. A. A., Safian, S. S., Jamaludin, S., & Osman, A. A. (2023). The Determinants of Palm Oil Price in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management and Sciences, 12(1), 123–137.

Ratchliffe, R. (2024, May 9). Malaysia plans to give orangutans to countries that buy palm oil. The Guardian. Diakses pada 14 Desember 2024, dari theguardian.com.

Sheil, D., Casson, A., Meijaard, E., van Nordwijk, M. Gaskell, J., Sunderland-Groves, J., Wertz, K. and Kanninen, M. (2009). The impacts and opportunities of oil palm in Southeast Asia: What do we know and what do we need to know? Occasional paper no. 51. CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia.

Sutrisno, Nandang. (2019). "Finding Legitmacy on European Union Trade Policy to Limit the Import of Palm Oil: Will Indonesia Survive (again)?," Indonesian Journal of International Law: Vol. 17: No. 1, Article 2. DOI: 10.17304/ijil.vol17.1.777.

Tyson, A., & Meganingtyas, E. (2020). The status of palm oil under the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive: Sustainability or protectionism? Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/00074918.2020.1862411.

The Conversation. (2014, 18 November). Koala diplomacy: Australian soft power saves the day at G20. The Conversation. Diakses pada 13 Desember 2025, dari theconversation.com.

Zaman, A.N., Effendi, C., Ridwan, W., Fahlevi, R. (2023). Diplomasi Budaya Indonesia. Jurnal Kajian Ilmu Sosial (KAIS), 4(1).

Waters, K., Altiparmak, S. O., Shutters, S. T., & Thies, C. (2024). The green mirage: The EU’s complex relationship with palm oil biodiesel in the context of environmental narratives and global trade dynamics. Energies, 17(2), 343. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020343.

Wishnu Mahendra Wismayana & Ni Komang Desy Arya Pinatih. (2022). Pandemi dan Tantangan Ketahanan Nasional Indonesia: Sebuah Tinjauan Kritis. Jurnal Lemhannas RI, 8(2), 93-100. https://doi.org/10.55960/jlri.v8i2.312.

WWF-Malaysia. (2024, May 14). “Orangutan Diplomacy” and what it means for orangutan conservation. WWF-Malaysia.https://www.wwf.org.my/?32605/Opinion-Editorial-Orangutan-Diplomacy.

Bahasa Abstract

Penelitian ini mengkaji fenomena diplomasi orangutan Malaysia sebagai bagian dari diplomasi publik dan diplomasi budaya dalam menghadapi tekanan internasional terhadap industri kelapa sawit, khususnya dari Uni Eropa. Terinspirasi oleh praktik diplomasi hewan seperti diplomasi panda Tiongkok, Malaysia pada tahun 2024 menggagas rencana menjadikan orangutan sebagai simbol diplomasi guna membangun citra positif dan memperkuat hubungan dagang dengan negara-negara mitra. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif kualitatif dengan metode studi pustaka yang memanfaatkan sumber-sumber akademik, dokumen kebijakan, laporan organisasi non-profit, serta media massa dan media sosial. Analisis dilakukan melalui perspektif ekologi budaya untuk memahami hubungan antara kepentingan ekonomi-politik, praktik diplomasi, dan implikasinya terhadap ekologi serta masyarakat lokal. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa diplomasi orangutan berpotensi mereduksi satwa menjadi instrumen simbolik negara, sekaligus menutupi problem struktural berupa deforestasi dan ekspansi perkebunan kelapa sawit yang mengancam habitat alami orangutan. Penolakan dari berbagai organisasi konservasi menegaskan bahwa tanpa komitmen kuat terhadap konservasi in situ dan perlindungan ekosistem hutan, diplomasi ini cenderung bersifat simbolik dan kontraproduktif. Artikel ini berargumen bahwa diplomasi hewan seharusnya tidak dilepaskan dari tanggung jawab ekologis dan kultural, terutama dalam konteks keberlanjutan lingkungan dan relasi masyarakat dengan satwa sebagai bagian dari sistem ekologi bersama.

Download

Share

COinS