KUALA LUMPUR – Pahang crown prince Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has pledged to spare no effort to help save the Malayan tiger from extinction.
In an Instagram post today, Tengku Hassanal said the majestic Malayan tiger, which was once the symbol of strength and bravery of Malaysians, is now critically endangered.
Therefore, the state regent stressed the importance of a decisive and determined action to save the apex predator.
“I, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, pledge that I will make it my solemn duty to ensure that I will do my best to help bring the Malayan tiger back from the brink of extinction,” he said.
His Highness also urged the Pahang state government to commit to fully implement urgent actions to conserve the country’s native animal species, saying the highest priority should be given to establishing effective enforcement units to eradicate poaching in forests and to ensure that poachers and their enablers are apprehended and brought to justice.
In addition, he said core tiger habitats, starting with the Greater Taman Negara Landscape, should be protected without delay to safeguard essential tiger habitat and to prevent further habitat loss.
Tengku Hassanal also highlighted that the connectivity of important wildlife corridors in the Central Forest Spine should be restored with the protection of the primary and secondary linkages.
“In order to achieve the three urgent actions above, we shall avail ourselves of essential knowledge, technology, resources and technical assistance from both local and international experts.
“We shall also support strong collaboration with the federal government and adjacent state governments.
“If we undertake these actions wholeheartedly, I believe that we can save the tiger, a revered icon of Malaysia, and in so doing, we will safeguard forests, which are a critical part of our nation’s irreplaceable heritage of biodiversity, providing essential ecosystem services for the well-being of our people.”
The Malayan Tiger, found only in Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand, is its own subspecies.
In the 1950s, it was estimated that 3,000 roamed Malaysia’s rainforests but the latest National Tiger Survey results indicate that there are less than 150 left in the wild. – The Vibes, June 10, 2022
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