A BIOLOGIST by profession, an environmentalist by passion. That aptly describes Yasmin Rasyid who has over two decades of experience working in environmental management, community development and social responsibility in Malaysia. Yasmin also provides consultation for business transformation for companies aiming to incorporate sustainability into their business practices.
With degrees in biology and biotechnology, she initially worked for the World Wildlife Fund and later a biotechnology firm. Yasmin founded EcoKnights in 2005 with the aim of assisting communities in the areas of sustainable development. The organisation delivers development and environmental interventions to communities, government agencies, educational institutions and companies to mobilise and catalyse their stakeholders towards sustainable development.
WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE FOUNDING ECOKNIGHTS?
After I graduated from Duke University with a degree in biology in 1998, there was a recession in Malaysia. So despite being a government scholar, there wasn’t any job for me. So I went back to school and got a Masters in Biotechnology. During that period, I managed to get my first job as a Scientific Officer with WWF-Malaysia. When I graduated, I took a hiatus to start a family, and during this time I became very active in community and social work, with a focus on sustainability. When I went back to work, I joined the corporate sector as head of R&D for an animal vaccine biotechnology company.
MILLENNIALS SEEM TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS BUT LESS SO THE OLDER GENERATION. HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE THE OLDER FOLKS TO CARE MORE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY?
I don’t totally agree with this statement. The greenest person for me was my late grandmother, who was illiterate. She embodies sustainability and influenced me a lot. But it’s true that in general, millennials are more aware and conscious of sustainability. They grew up in a time when words like “sustainable development”, “climate change”, “global warming” and “ozone depletion” are commonplace. The Internet has greatly enhanced their awareness and knowledge of these issues whereas those who are in their 60s now probably are not so familiar with such things. I think everyone, young and old, needs to be encouraged to care more about sustainability - and most importantly to take action.
WHAT ARE EASY THINGS AN AVERAGE PERSON CAN DO TO BECOME “GREENER”?
Firstly, be mindful of consumption. Think before you consume and consume only what you need to avoid being wasteful. Secondly, be happy with what you have. Materialism and capitalism drive consumption and this is an endless cycle if everyone has desires that are beyond their means.
DID YOUR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS COME FROM YOUR UPBRINGING?
As I’d mentioned earlier, my maternal Chinese grandmother was probably the earliest and most influential person in my life who shaped my consciousness. My parents divorced when I was 12, so I grew up with my grandparents. My grandmother raised me and a lot of what I am today comes from that history.
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS BEING ENTREPRENEURIAL AS WELL?
I’ve never described myself as entrepreneurial but the media and other organisations have labelled me as such. Somehow I’ve ended up on lists like “women entrepreneurs” and such, and I guess I’m recognised for some aspects of entrepreneurship in the organisations I’m involved in. I find it fascinating and perplexing at the same time as I have no formal business background.
YOU’RE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF CAUSES. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR INCOME?
I do some consulting here and there, depending on the nature of the consultation and whether it goes against my values or not. I also have various engagements where I advise on designing and delivering workshops, and such. My personal time spent on consultations and engagements are currently my main ways of earning an income.
WHAT ROLE CAN PARENTS PLAY IN RAISING CHILDREN TO BE “GREENER”?
You can raise a greener generation if you, as a parent and an adult, also embrace these values. My kids are probably more conscious about the environment than the average child because at home we talk about it, and they get to participate in programmes which I designed. They have the benefit of their mum walking, talking and breathing sustainability. And if they become green advocates one day, it would come from the fact that being “green” is part of our family’s DNA. So, if you want your children to be environmentally conscious, the biggest influencer is you. Don’t expect the government and teachers to play that role. We, the parents, should change our ways, our behaviours and our attitudes so that we become the role models for a more “greener” lifestyle.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONSCIOUS ARE MALAYSIANS COMPARED TO OUR NEIGHBOURS?
The greenest country in the Asean region is Singapore. Generally speaking though, in Malaysia and in other Asean countries, people need to shift from consciousness to action. I’m talking about taking real action.
YOUR MAJOR IS BIOLOGY BUT YOU DID A MINOR IN RELIGION. WHY SUCH AN UNUSUAL COMBINATION?
Duke is quite a tough university. I found the classes to be quite hard. Thankfully in the American education system, there’s also emphasis on other areas of personal and academic interests. What I’d do to balance my science subjects was to take up social science classes which would provide an outlet for me to jolt my brain in areas that were not activated by the hard science classes.
YOU’RE CURRENTLY PURSUING A PhD.WHAT’S YOUR THESIS ABOUT?
My PhD is in sustainability science from Universiti Malaya. My thesis is basically a case study on an island in Malaysia, where I observed how NGOs were delivering interventions, and my emphasis is on identifying, dissecting, analysing and documenting the various factors that influence the success or failure of NGO interventions for sustainable community development.
IS YOUR HUSBAND INTO SUSTAINABILITY?
He’s very supportive of what I do. We’re a good tag team in ensuring certain values are held strongly in our family, for example, on things like managing our food wastes, prudent use of energy and so on. He’s my number one fan!
IF A YOUNG PERSON WANTS TO WORK IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL LINE, WHAT UNIVERSITY COURSES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
I won’t recommend any specific environmental course if you want to be a changemaker. The world is very inter-disciplinary, multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary today, and will be more so in the very near future. So, it’s not so much about what you study, it’s more about how you integrate and link what you study to other disciplines. However, if you want to teach and do research in environmental work, you’d need to have a strong academic background from either a science, sustainability science or environmental science background.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OR FRUSTRATION YOU FACE IN DOING WHAT YOU DO?
In general, my frustrations are with people – naysayers and those who aren’t able to grasp the relevance of sustainability. Changing people’s mindsets is never easy. But it’s part and parcel of my work.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO?
It’s also people — but a different set of people. Those who actually give me energy and empower me to continue what I do. These include the beneficiaries of the programmes we run, who often end up becoming my friends.