nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across Asia: AI and religious understanding in Malaysia, Cambodia’s dolphin conservation efforts, and controversy over Indonesia’s soon–to–be–opened waste–to–energy plant. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Malaysian Islamic Party head Ahmad Fakhruddin Fakhrurazi is warning the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) that AI is a threat to Malaysian’s understanding of Islam. Ahmad Fakhruddin’s concern revolves around the prominence of Western AI models and AI bias embedded in those models. If people rely on these Western models to answer questions about the Islamic faith, Ahmad Fakhruddin believes “the future understanding of Islam could be at risk.” He suggests that Jakim needs to safeguard the understanding of Islam through a policy framework in AI usage.
AI has been used to explore complex religious study, and many are more optimistic about AI’s potential impact on how people understand Islam. Notably, a dedicated community developed an AI chatbot specifically to instruct users about different practices and tenets of Islam.
Last year, Malaysia’s prime minister voiced similar concerns about Western AI models, suggesting that Malaysia should develop its own AI models. In February 2025, the Malaysian government allocated around $2 million to send teachers abroad to study AI and leadership. This program aims to give Malaysian teachers better skills to improve education. Similarly, the government is investing in developing a national AI framework, hopefully reducing the country’s reliance on Western models.
Cambodia strengthens conservation efforts
In February 2025, Cambodia made great strides in protecting two endangered species of animals: vultures and Irrawaddy dolphins.
In February, Cambodia hosted the 14th Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction Annual General Meeting. Cambodia and Myanmar are the only Southeast Asian countries to attend these meetings, as they are the last Southeast Asian countries to house vultures, with around 100 currently in Cambodia. Although the number of vultures has dropped to half of what they were a decade ago, conservationists feel optimistic as the population is currently stable. During the meeting, Cambodia received praise from the other five countries in the vulture conservation group (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar) for their conservation efforts, including public awareness campaigns, feeding plans, and habitat protection.
Irrawaddy dolphins are considered sacred by the Khmer people of Cambodia and are an essential part of the biodiversity of Cambodia’s fresh–water rivers. In 2024, villagers in Stung Treng hosted a dolphin festival to promote conservation efforts of the Irrawaddy dolphin after the last dolphin near their village was found dead in 2022. The villagers hoped that encouraging eco–tourism could save the little over 100 remaining dolphins. Their efforts have thus far been hampered by the need to enforce fishing restrictions, often hindered by limited resources and confrontations with fishing gangs. To combat these challenges, on 13 February 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries warned that they will fire corrupt river guards that allow illegal fishing. Only time will tell if this strict crackdown will benefit conservation efforts.
Is Jakarta’s new waste–to–energy plant worth the cost?
The new Refuse–Derived Fuel (RDF) plant in Jakarta halted its February trial after community residents complained about the odor. Currently, Jakarta is suffering from a waste crisis as the capital of Indonesia creates over 7,500 tons of waste daily. To combat this crisis, the government invested $74 million to create the largest RDF plant in the world (the current largest plant is in Tel Aviv, Israel). The RDF plant has been under construction since March 2024, and will hopefully be ready for use in April 2025. The plant should process between 2,000 and 2,500 tons of waste daily, turning it into usable fuel.
However, the February trial of the plant was paused, after the plant began emitting “Thick, foul–smelling smoke.” Reportedly, the plant has odor–control technology, and the trials are a part of testing the facility’s operations. However, multiple environmental groups, in addition to the community residents, are warning about the dangers the RDF plant may pose. A member of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment believes that mixing plastic in the factory could not only create air pollution, but that the possible gases emitted could be highly toxic.
The RDF Plant management met with residents who complained to listen to their concerns. The plant management promised to pause the trial and meet with the residents again before continuing it.
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Malaysia’s concern over what Western AI models mean for Islam
March 10, 2025
Diplomatic Courier staff writer Stephanie Gull brings you three under–the–radar stories from Asia: concerns over AI’s impact on Islam, dolphin conservation in Cambodia, and Indonesia’s controversial energy solution.
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nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across Asia: AI and religious understanding in Malaysia, Cambodia’s dolphin conservation efforts, and controversy over Indonesia’s soon–to–be–opened waste–to–energy plant. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Malaysian Islamic Party head Ahmad Fakhruddin Fakhrurazi is warning the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) that AI is a threat to Malaysian’s understanding of Islam. Ahmad Fakhruddin’s concern revolves around the prominence of Western AI models and AI bias embedded in those models. If people rely on these Western models to answer questions about the Islamic faith, Ahmad Fakhruddin believes “the future understanding of Islam could be at risk.” He suggests that Jakim needs to safeguard the understanding of Islam through a policy framework in AI usage.
AI has been used to explore complex religious study, and many are more optimistic about AI’s potential impact on how people understand Islam. Notably, a dedicated community developed an AI chatbot specifically to instruct users about different practices and tenets of Islam.
Last year, Malaysia’s prime minister voiced similar concerns about Western AI models, suggesting that Malaysia should develop its own AI models. In February 2025, the Malaysian government allocated around $2 million to send teachers abroad to study AI and leadership. This program aims to give Malaysian teachers better skills to improve education. Similarly, the government is investing in developing a national AI framework, hopefully reducing the country’s reliance on Western models.
Cambodia strengthens conservation efforts
In February 2025, Cambodia made great strides in protecting two endangered species of animals: vultures and Irrawaddy dolphins.
In February, Cambodia hosted the 14th Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction Annual General Meeting. Cambodia and Myanmar are the only Southeast Asian countries to attend these meetings, as they are the last Southeast Asian countries to house vultures, with around 100 currently in Cambodia. Although the number of vultures has dropped to half of what they were a decade ago, conservationists feel optimistic as the population is currently stable. During the meeting, Cambodia received praise from the other five countries in the vulture conservation group (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar) for their conservation efforts, including public awareness campaigns, feeding plans, and habitat protection.
Irrawaddy dolphins are considered sacred by the Khmer people of Cambodia and are an essential part of the biodiversity of Cambodia’s fresh–water rivers. In 2024, villagers in Stung Treng hosted a dolphin festival to promote conservation efforts of the Irrawaddy dolphin after the last dolphin near their village was found dead in 2022. The villagers hoped that encouraging eco–tourism could save the little over 100 remaining dolphins. Their efforts have thus far been hampered by the need to enforce fishing restrictions, often hindered by limited resources and confrontations with fishing gangs. To combat these challenges, on 13 February 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries warned that they will fire corrupt river guards that allow illegal fishing. Only time will tell if this strict crackdown will benefit conservation efforts.
Is Jakarta’s new waste–to–energy plant worth the cost?
The new Refuse–Derived Fuel (RDF) plant in Jakarta halted its February trial after community residents complained about the odor. Currently, Jakarta is suffering from a waste crisis as the capital of Indonesia creates over 7,500 tons of waste daily. To combat this crisis, the government invested $74 million to create the largest RDF plant in the world (the current largest plant is in Tel Aviv, Israel). The RDF plant has been under construction since March 2024, and will hopefully be ready for use in April 2025. The plant should process between 2,000 and 2,500 tons of waste daily, turning it into usable fuel.
However, the February trial of the plant was paused, after the plant began emitting “Thick, foul–smelling smoke.” Reportedly, the plant has odor–control technology, and the trials are a part of testing the facility’s operations. However, multiple environmental groups, in addition to the community residents, are warning about the dangers the RDF plant may pose. A member of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment believes that mixing plastic in the factory could not only create air pollution, but that the possible gases emitted could be highly toxic.
The RDF Plant management met with residents who complained to listen to their concerns. The plant management promised to pause the trial and meet with the residents again before continuing it.
