EXERCISE 1: MARKET RESEARCH (Ethan Tan 0139155)

 Introduction

In my market research assignment, I have chosen EcoKnights which is a Malaysian Non-Governmental Organisation that prioritises on the awareness of the environment and development. This conducted research is to understand the organisation’s background, development, mission, vision, and recent campaign.

 

  1. Who started EcoKnights and when was it founded?

EcoKnights was establish in 2005 by Dr. Yasmin Rasyid, a marine biologist and passionate environmentalist as a young mother passionate about sustainability and community engagement. She started the NGO to highlight the growing gap in environmental education and action in Malaysia (EcoKnights, 2023a).

  1. What does EcoKnights do as an organization?

EcoKnights promotes sustainability through five pillars: Outreach & Education, Community Development & Education, Rehabilitation & Conservation, Youth & Volunteerism, and Sustainability Communications. Its programs include KLEFF film festival, tree planting, clean-up drives, workshops, community dialogues, and youth development initiatives (Augustman, 2020; EcoKnights, n.d.-a).

  1. Where does EcoKnights operate, and who does it help?

Based in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, EcoKnights operates nationwide across Malaysia. It engages students, volunteers, local communities, business partners, government agencies, and the public through events, educational programs, and environmental campaigns (EcoKnights, n.d.-a; Augustman, 2020).

  1. Why was EcoKnights created, and what problem was it meant to solve?

It was created to address a void in environmental understanding among Malaysians. Dr. Yasmin launched EcoKnights to increase public awareness, beginning with families and schools, and empowering individuals to protect the environment (Augustman, 2020; EcoKnights, 2023a).

 

  1. How has EcoKnights grown or changed since it started?

EcoKnights evolved from small local outreach efforts into a structured NGO with five operational pillars and nationally recognized programs. Its actions now include educational campaigns, digital initiatives, film festivals, river restoration, and online fundraising (Augustman, 2020; EcoKnights, n.d.-a).

  1. What are some key achievements or milestones EcoKnights has reached?

Milestones include planting over 100 trees, collecting 3,110 kg of waste, launching KLEFF in 2008, implementing the KLEAR river restoration program, and revamping its website to support online content and fundraising (Augustman, 2020; EcoKnights, n.d.-a).

  1. When did EcoKnights experience major changes or shifts in its work?

The major transition came during 2020 when EcoKnights revamped its website, introduced virtual tools for fundraising and volunteering, and planned to stream the KLEFF festival online marking its shift toward digital engagement (Augustman, 2020; EcoKnights, 2022).

  1. How has community support or public awareness of EcoKnights changed?

Public awareness has risen alongside increasing program participation and collaborations although many Malaysians still primarily expect government intervention. (Augustman, 2020)

  1. What is the main cause or issue that EcoKnights focuses on?

The organization focuses on resource conservation, ecosystem protection through educational and restoration campaigns, environmental education and sustainable community development. (EcoKnights, n.d.-a)

  1. Why did the organization choose to focus on that issue?

The NGO founder notice a gap in enviromental knowledge and wants to empower the future generations to be prepared for sustainability challenges. (Augustman, 2020)

  1. What Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) does EcoKnights work on?

It explicitly supports enviromental restoration, sustainability, and youth education with SDG 13 (Climate Action), 12 (Responsible Consumption), and 15 (Life on Land) through programs. (EcoKnights, n.d.-a)

  1. How does EcoKnights support those SDGs through its activities?

By conducting activities like tree planting, waste collection, river restoration, workshops, and youth programs to promote sustainability. With projects like CIRCLE, KLEAR, SOS workshop and KLEEF shows their focused actions in practise. (EcoKnights, n.d.-a)

  1. What is EcoKnights’ mission and what does it aim to achieve?

The mission is to empower people to live sustainably and protect the environment one individual at a time through education and meaningful experiences. (EcoKnights, 2023a)

  1. What is EcoKnights’ long-term vision for the future?

The vision they have is to foster sustainable individual who change in behaviors of environment betterment and challenges. They envision an environmentally conscious society which is ingrained in everyones mindset. (EcoKnights, 2023a)

  1. How do EcoKnights’ projects show or reflect its mission and vision?

Their pillar based projects embody mission by educating, restoration, youth empowering and enable the community to sustainable and systemic changes. (EcoKnights, n.d.-a)

  1. Strengths – What makes EcoKnights strong or successful as an NGO?

They have Structured pillars, long-term leadership, volunteer empowerment, and active flagship programmes like Tree4Us, #AirKita as strong stakeholder collaboration across sectors. (The Edge, 2025)

  1. Weaknesses – What challenges or limits does EcoKnights face internally?

EcoKnights faces internal challenges primarily in the form of limited human resources and funding. According to Fadly Bakhtiar (2025), major programmes like Tree4Us require a large workforce, but volunteer shortages are frequent. Yasmin Rasyid (2020) also noted difficulties in recruiting versatile, empathetic staff, with roles requiring multidisciplinary skills. These challenges are compounded by external disruptions such as political changes or global outbreak, which can halt operations unexpectedly. (Augustman, 2020; The Edge, 2025)

  1. Opportunities – What future opportunities could help EcoKnights grow?

Opportunities include scaling up Tree4Us to plant 20,000 trees and expanding KLEFF. Increased digital outreach and campaigns like #AirKita and Project BUMI can boost public engagement. These moves can grow their impact across Malaysia (Augustman, 2020; The Edge, 2025).

  1. Threats – What outside risks (e.g. policy, funding) could affect EcoKnights?

EcoKnights is vulnerable to unstable funding and reliance on partner alignment. Political shifts or pandemics can halt or delay operations. These external threats could disrupt future sustainability goals (Augustman, 2020; The Edge, 2025).

  1. What are one or two campaigns EcoKnights has run recently, and how were they creative or impactful?

Tree4Us has planted over 2,000 saplings nationwide, promoting restoration. #AirKita educates schools and communities on water conservation using hands-on projects. Both campaigns have creatively engaged youth and the public (Augustman, 2020; The Edge, 2025).

21. How does EcoKnights engage with youth to develop future sustainability leaders?

EcoKnights engages youth through its Youth Development and Volunteerism (YDV) pillar. Programs such as Knights of Nature Sustainability Camp, Anugerah Hijau, and Project BUMI are designed to nurture ethical, emotional, and intellectual abilities in young people to help them lead future environmental efforts. (Augustman, 2020)

 

22. What digital initiatives has EcoKnights adopted to expand its impact?

EcoKnights revamped its website to include online fundraising, volunteer registration, and plans to stream the Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) digitally, helping it reach a broader audience and keep up with the digital age. (Augustman, 2020)

 

Summary

Researching EcoKnights helped me visualize how a local NGO can motivate and move a real environmental change. I learned more like the passion and dedication behind their work. It made me realise that even the tiniest actions can have a big impact, and inspired me to be more aware of my role in sustainability.



Reference List

Augustman. (2020, April 22). How EcoKnights is sustaining and restoring resources for tomorrow through volunteers. Augustman. https://www.augustman.com/my/people/the-voluntary-efforts-of-ecoknights-sustaining-restoring-resources-for-tomorrow/

EcoKnights. (n.d.-a). About us. EcoKnights. Retrieved June 24, 2025, from https://ecoknights.org.my/about-ecoknights/

The Edge Malaysia. (2025, March 5). EcoKnights’ growing environmental impact through education and collaboration. The Edge Markets. https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/740244


 

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