WHEN FORESTS MAKE HEADLINES: HOW MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPERS FRAME AGARWOOD

Authors

  • PHIRDAOUS ABBAS International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0684-6774
  • YUMI ZUHANIS HAS-YUN HASHIM International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8823-9731
  • NURHUSNA SAMSUDIN International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7982-0495
  • ANIS NAJIHA AHMAD International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8498-147X
  • NURHIDAYU AL-SAARI International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2952-7039

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i4.1308

Keywords:

Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.), media framing, environmental governance, cultural heritage, Malaysian newspaper

Abstract

Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.), locally known as gaharu, is a high-value non-timber forest product that is steeped in complex intersections of cultural heritage, economic opportunity, and environmental concern. Despite its longstanding significance within Malaysia and across global trade networks, limited attention has been given to how agarwood is represented in national media. This study addresses this gap by examining media framing of agarwood in Malaysian newspaper coverage across linguistic contexts. Guided by framing theory and employing qualitative content analysis through reflexive thematic analysis, 267 articles from four major newspapers (The Star, New Straits Times, Berita Harian, and Utusan Malaysia) were systematically analyzed. The findings reveal distinct framing patterns between English- and Malay-language newspapers. English-language coverage predominantly emphasizes governance, trade, and law enforcement, frequently portraying agarwood as a regulated commodity associated with illegality, market dynamics, and policy intervention. In contrast, Malay-language reporting situates agarwood within cultural, religious, and everyday contexts, highlighting its role in traditional practices, spiritual experiences, and community life. Across the dataset, five overarching themes were identified: economy and industry, environment, science and education, governance and law enforcement, religion, beliefs and indigenous traditions, and society and culture. These divergent framings construct agarwood in dual yet largely disconnected ways, as both an economic resource subject to regulation and a cultural artefact embedded in social and spiritual life. This separation reflects broader patterns of segmented media discourse, where economic and institutional narratives rarely intersect with cultural meanings. The study demonstrates how such framings shape public understanding, legitimizing particular policy perspectives while rendering others less visible. By offering a systematic analysis of agarwood representation in Malaysian newspapers, this study contributes to scholarship in environmental communication and media framing, while illuminating how natural resources are discursively constructed within a multilingual and culturally layered media landscape.

Author Biographies

  • PHIRDAOUS ABBAS, International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Dr. Phirdaous Abbas is a biotechnology engineer (BEng 2010, MSc 2014, PhD 2022, International Islamic University Malaysia [IIUM]) and currently serves as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), IIUM. His research focuses on agarwood, natural products, phytochemistry, and traditional medicine, with particular emphasis on anticancer and anti-inflammatory bioactivities. His work explores the relationship between bioactive compounds, natural product drug discovery, and holistic health applications. Dr. Phirdaous has contributed extensively to studies on Aquilaria spp. (agarwood), including phytochemical analysis, extraction techniques, cytotoxicity studies, and pharmacological evaluations. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications related to agarwood chemistry, health-beneficial compounds, and natural product-based therapeutics. His broader research interests include herbal medicine, bioactivity screening, chromatography, mammalian cell culture, and the development of plant-derived therapeutic agents.

  • YUMI ZUHANIS HAS-YUN HASHIM, International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Dr. Yumi is a Professor and currently the Dean at the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART). She graduated with a degree in Biomedical Science (Hons.) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1999 and earned an M.Eng. in Bioprocess from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2002. She worked as a Research Officer at the Chemical Engineering Pilot Plant (now the Institute of Bioproduct Development), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, before joining academia. She then obtained her PhD from the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, University of Ulster, UK, and served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, from February 2007 to December 2008. Dr. Yumi is an active researcher in natural products, focusing on their health benefits and halal living. She has a particular interest in agarwood, halal science, and halal studies. Currently, she is exploring the potential of natural products, traditional medicine, and halal living, and how these elements intersect to promote and maintain holistic health and well-being for people and the environment. She has received grants from government agencies and industries, published more than 40 journal articles and several book chapters, and presented her research at various local and international conferences.

  • NURHUSNA SAMSUDIN, International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Dr. Nurhusna Samsudin graduated with a B. Eng in Biochemical-Biotechnology (Honors) and a second degree in Business Administration from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 2008. She later obtained her M.Sc. and PhD in Engineering from the Biotechnology Department at IIUM, Malaysia, between 2011 and 2017. In 2018, she joined the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), IIUM, as a research fellow for two years. Since July 2020, she has been working as an assistant professor at INHART. Dr. Nurhusna is an active researcher in biomaterials, enzyme and molecular modeling, and the health benefits of phytochemical compounds, particularly from agarwood, as an alternative ingredient for halal biopharmaceutical products. She has received a national grant for a project to unravel the prescriptions in Malay medical manuscripts that use agarwood as one of the elements.

  • ANIS NAJIHA AHMAD, International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Dr. Anis Najiha Ahmad is currently an Assistant Professor at the International Institute of Halal Research and Training (INHART), IIUM. She graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with a B.Sc. in Food Technology (Hons) in 2008 and an M.Sc. in Food Technology in 2012. Her master's thesis, "Development of chromatography methods for the determination of ethanol halal limits in selected foods and drinks," focused on the development of routine methods for ethanol quantification and the determination of alcohol limits in halal certification. During her doctoral studies, she decided to go the opposite direction, from hard-analytical detection to a soft management approach—addressing challenges to ensure the halal and wholesome state of food production. Her PhD thesis focuses on the development of an instrument that assesses the enablers that lead to the effectiveness of halal food management systems in SMEs. Her current work focuses on a broad range of topics in the fields of halal food quality and safety management, halal consumer behavior, whistle-blowing, and core competencies in the halal industry. She has published multiple journal articles, several book chapters and presented her research outputs at various conferences. She is actively involved as an editorial member and has served as a reviewer for various peer reviewed journals. She is one of the certified Professional Junior Trainers for Atlas.ti, one of the well-known computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software.

  • NURHIDAYU AL-SAARI, International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    Nurhidayu Al-saari earned a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology (Hons.) and a Master of Science (Aquaculture and Biotechnology Marine) in 2008 and 2012, respectively, from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), as well as a PhD in Marine Life Science (Microbiology) from Hokkaido University in Japan (2016). Then, from December 2016 to August 2018, she served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Bioscience at UPM. She began her career at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in late 2018, and she is currently an Assistant Professor at the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART). Nurhidayu is the principal investigator for a national research grant on fish nutrigenomics, and until today, she has co-authored and published over 30 academic and review articles. She is a MBOT certified Professional Technologist in Biotechnology and a member of the Malaysian Fisheries Society (MFS) and Malaysian Society for Microbiology (MSM). She actively participates in various consulting projects, most recently with JAKIM and the Department of Standards Malaysia as a member of the Malaysian National Standards Committees (MyNSC) working group (WG 5-2) that is looking into developing biological test methods related to halal. She also involved as a coordinator in the development and review of halal academic programmes and as an auditor for academic programme accreditation. Her current research interests include microbial genomics and ecology in various aquatic and terrestrial environments, probiotic and vaccination strategies in aquaculture, the Vibrionaceae family and other pathogenic bacteria, gut microbiome and nutrigenomic, as well as food and agroindustry-related research focusing on safety, sustainable resources, and the toyyiban component of halal science.   

References

[1] Abdullah, K., Tan, P.L., Abdul Rahman, A. (2021): Framing for the Heritage Conservation in Malaysia. – International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 11(11): 1273-1292.

[2] Ader, C.R. (1995): A Longitudinal Study of Agenda Setting for the Issue of Environmental Pollution. – Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 72(2): 300-311.

[3] Adler, H., Burnett, C.J. (2024): “Psychic Poisons” or Emerging Medicines: A Thematic Analysis of Cannabis Representations in Australian Nineteenth-Century Periodicals. – Journal of Communication Inquiry 48(4): 435-455.

[4] Azren, P., Lee, S.Y., Mustapha, M., Mohamed, R., Emang, D. (2021): Trends in the agarwood industry of Peninsular Malaysia. – Malaysian Forester 84(1): 152-168.

[5] Bakhtiar, A., Maliah, S., Nik Nazli Nik, A. (2009): A longitudinal Examination of Environmental Reporting Practices in Malaysia. – Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business 11(1): 37-72.

[6] Barden, A., Anak, N.A., Mulliken, T., Song, M. (2000): Heart of the matter: agarwood use and trade and CITES implementation for Aquilaria malaccensis. – TRAFFIC International, Cambridge, UK 52p.

[7] Belcher, B., Schreckenberg, K. (2007): Commercialisation of Non-timber Forest Products: A Reality Check. – Development Policy Review 25(3): 355-377.

[8] Berkes, F. (2009): Community conserved areas: policy issues in historic and contemporary context. – Conservation Letters 2(1): 20-25.

[9] Bielby, J., Austen, G., McMillan, K., Wafflart, S. (2025): Exploring media representation of the exotic pet trade, with a focus on welfare: taxonomic, framing and language biases in peer-reviewed publications and newspaper articles. – Royal Society Open Science 12(3): 14p.

[10] Blaser, J., Frizzo, J., Norgrove, L. (2021): Not only timber: the potential for managing non-timber forest products in tropical production forests-a comprehensive literature review. – ITTO Technical Series No. 50, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), Yokohama, Japan 108p.

[11] Boykoff, M.T. (2009): We Speak for the Trees: Media Reporting on the Environment. – Annual Review of Environment and Resources 34: 431-457.

[12] Braun, V., Clarke, V. (2019): Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. – Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health 11(4): 589-597.

[13] Crow, D.A., Lawlor, A. (2016): Media in the Policy Process: Using Framing and Narratives to Understand Policy Influences. – Review of Policy Research 33(5): 472-491.

[14] Dawood, U., Bhat, B.A., Wani, N.A., Rashid, L., Teli, Z.A. (2025): Evaluation of Resource Dependency and Conservation Attitude among the Local Populations in Select Forest Regions and Protected Areas for Management Planning in the Kashmir Himalaya. – Human Ecology 53(1): 14p.

[15] Du, T.Y., Dao, C.J., Mapook, A., Stephenson, S.L., Elgorban, A.M., Al-Rejaie, S., Tibpromma, S. (2022): Diversity and Biosynthetic Activities of Agarwood Associated Fungi. – Diversity 14(3): 18p.

[16] Duong, T.M.P., Lobry de Bruyn, L., Kristiansen, P., Marshall, G.R., Wilkes, J. (2021): Nature and level of NTFP reliance: a case study in the buffer zone of Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam. – Forests, Trees and Livelihoods 30(2): 116-132.

[17] Easter, T., Trautmann, J., Gore, M., Carter, N. (2023): Media portrayal of the illegal trade in wildlife: The case of turtles in the US and implications for conservation. – People and Nature 5(2): 758-773.

[18] Entman, R.M. (1993): Framing: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm. – Journal of Communication 43(4): 51-58.

[19] Feng, L.R. (2024): Foreign aromatics, olfactory culture, and scent connoisseurship in late medieval China. – Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 34(2): 435-453.

[20] Hall, K.R. (2022): Introduction: Asian Maritime Networking Centered in Fifteenth Century Melaka. – Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 65(3): 325-343.

[21] Hashim, Y.Z.H.Y., Mohd Rozali, N.E.S., Samsudin, N., Abbas, P., Ahmad, A.N., Syed Abdul Azziz, S.S., Mahamad Maifiah, M.H. (2025): Patent Landscape of Aquilaria Species: Trends in Sustainable Agarwood Agribusiness Innovation. – Philippine Journal of Science 154(6A): 1443-1452.

[22] Hashim, Y.Z.H.Y., Samsudin, N., Ahmad, A.N., Mohd Said, N., Gill, C.I.R., Mohamad Tormizi, U.A., Mohd Rozali, N.E.S. (2022): A Bibliometric Analysis of Agarwood Research, 1959-2021. – Journal of Agrobiotechnology 13(2): 37-64.

[23] Hashim, Y.Z.H.Y., Kerr, P.G., Abbas, P., Mohd Salleh, H. (2016): Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology. – Journal of Ethnopharmacology 189: 331-360.

[24] Hegde, R., Enters, T. (2000): Forest products and household economy: a case study from Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India. – Environmental Conservation 27(3): 250-259.

[25] Heinen, J.T., Shrestha-Acharya, R. (2011): The Non-Timber Forest Products Sector in Nepal: Emerging Policy Issues in Plant Conservation and Utilization for Sustainable Development. – Journal of Sustainable Forestry 30(6): 543-563.

[26] Kanazawa, K. (2017): Sustainable Harvesting and Conservation of Agarwood: A Case Study from the Upper Baram River in Sarawak, Malaysia. – Tropics 25(4): 139-146.

[27] Laakso, S., Castellazzi, E., Matschoss, K., Rinkinen, J. (2024): Agents of change or victims of transition? Media framings on household roles during the energy crisis. – Sustainability Science 19(3): 739-762.

[28] Lim, H.F., Mamat, M.P., Chang, Y.S. (2007): Production, Use and Trade of Gaharu in Peninsular Malaysia. – International Economic Conference on Trade and Industry, Bayview Hotel, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia 18p.

[29] Lim, T.W., Awang Anak, N. (2010): Wood for the trees: A review of the agarwood (gaharu) trade in Malaysia. – TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 48p.

[30] Linsheng, C. (2022): Sandalwood and Human Beings: A Perspective of Environmental History. – Journal of Development and Social Sciences 3(3): 304-316.

[31] López-Sampson, A., Page, T. (2018): History of Use and Trade of Agarwood. – Economic Botany 72(1): 107-129.

[32] Mahdizadeh, S., Khaleghi Ghadiri, M., Gorji, A. (2015): Avicenna's Canon of Medicine: a review of analgesics and anti-inflammatory substances. – Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine 5(3): 182-202.

[33] McCombs, M.E., Shaw, D.L. (1972): The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. – Public Opinion Quarterly 36(2): 176-187.

[34] Pigeon, S. (2017): Steal it, Change it, Print it: Transatlantic Scissors-and-Paste Journalism in the Ladies’ Treasury, 1857–1895. – Journal of Victorian Culture 22(1): 24-39.

[35] Ramli, M.I. (2019): Breaking old habits is vital for Malaysia’s mainstream newspapers. – Penang Institute Issues, Penang, Malaysia 8p.

[36] Royyani, M.F., Rachmat, H., Christita, M., Fajar, A.S., Milyardi, I., Hakam, S., Maman, T. (2026): Traditional knowledge and sustainable agarwood cultural practices among Indonesian ethnic communities. – Ethnobotany Research and Applications 33: 1-23.

[37] Saleh, M.S.M., Heinrichs, H. (2020): Media representation of environmental issues in Malaysia: Newspapers and environment non-government organisation newsletters. – Pacific Journalism Review 26(2): 118-131.

[38] Sano, Y., Inoue, M. (2024): Selective felling as incidental less-destructive harvesting: Agarwood collection by Punan Aput in North Kalimantan, Indonesia. – Tropics 33(1): 33-55.

[39] Shi, J., Yang, Y., Zhou, X., Zhao, L., Li, X., Yusuf, A., Hu, X. (2022): The current status of old traditional medicine introduced from Persia to China. – Frontiers in Pharmacology 13: 15p.

[40] Shivanand, P., Arbie, N.F., Krishnamoorthy, S., Ahmad, N. (2022): Agarwood-The Fragrant Molecules of a Wounded Tree. – Molecules 27(11): 16p.

[41] Syazwan, S.A., Lee, S.Y., Ong, S.P., Mohamed, R.J.S.M. (2019): Damaging insect pests and diseases and their threats to agarwood tree plantations. – Sains Malaysiana 48(3): 497-507.

[42] Thompson, I.D., Lim, T., Turjaman, M. (2022): Expensive, exploited and endangered. A review of the agarwood-producing genera Aquilaria and Gyrinops: CITES considerations, trade patterns, conservation, and management. – ITTO Technical Series No. 51, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), Yokohama, Japan 84p.

[43] Wahab, J.A., Tayeb, A., Fuhat, S. (2025): News images and ideology: Investigating visual representation in news on selected Malaysian television stations. – SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research 17(1): 77-93.

[44] Wen, S.J., Kun, S., Ling, T.P. (2025): Media frames and cybercrime: Understanding Malaysian online news coverage. – SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research 17(4): 71-86.

[45] Zanuddin, H., Sern, T.J., Ahmad, F., Hassan, B.R.A., Zawawi, J.W.M., Hashim, N., Ishak, M.B.J.J.K.M.J. (2017): Burying the news for the public: agenda cutting of the tamil newspapers and MIC candidate Facebook during the 13th general election. – Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication 33(2): 55-72.

[46] Zhang, N., Skoric, M.M. (2018): Media Use and Environmental Engagement: Examining Differential Gains from News Media and Social Media. – International Journal of Communication 12: 380-403.

Downloads

Published

2026-08-31

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 4 (2026): QJSSH

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 PHIRDAOUS ABBAS, YUMI ZUHANIS HAS-YUN HASHIM, NURHUSNA SAMSUDIN, ANIS NAJIHA AHMAD, NURHIDAYU AL-SAARI

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

WHEN FORESTS MAKE HEADLINES: HOW MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPERS FRAME AGARWOOD. (2026). Quantum Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 7(4), 519-535. https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i4.1308