ONE of my favourite things about living in Malaysia is being surrounded by stunning rainforests and the amazing wildlife that calls our nation home. One of them is the Malayan tiger – the symbol of our national pride, of bravery, strength, and regality.
Back in the mid-1900s, thousands of Malayan tigers roamed our rainforests. But today, our iconic national symbol has been tragically hunted down to a mere 200 animals. Since 2015, they have been classified as “Critically Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (INCU) Red List.
It is sad that our tigers’ future is uncertain, and we Malaysians are singularly responsible. The pressing issue here is that illegal poachers are still coming into our forests and setting up snares (a steel cable noose) to trap these animals. It is a slow and painful death that is beyond inhumane, it is a crime against the soul of our nation.
There are several organisations actively working towards the common goal of saving Malayan tigers. One that stands out is Rimau, a Malaysian non-profit organisation. Not only do they focus on raising funds and awareness to bring the Malayan tigers back from the brink of extinction, but they also work on providing the Orang Asli (the indigenous people of Malaysia) a much-needed alternative livelihood.
Together with the Perak State Parks Corporation under the leadership of its general manager, Shah Reza, Rimau created the Menraq Patrol Unit. “Menraq” means “the people” in the language of the Jahai Orang Asli community that reside in Royal Belum state park. This is a vast jungle area covering 117,500ha in northern Peninsular Malaysia on the border with Thailand. Rimau and Menraq work together on a community patrolling project to search for and dispose of the snares placed in Royal Belum. This has helped to nurture a sense of ownership in wildlife conservation among the Orang Asli, allowing them to maintain pride and responsibility for their home, and giving them dignity and purpose in this fast-evolving world.
The Vinod Sekhar Foundation has provided funds, and will continue to do so, to support Menraq’s training, equipment, and the wages for the Orang Asli. It’s a win-win situation – we help the critical work of Rimau and the Perak State Parks Corporation to save the Malayan tiger, while at the same time providing work and dignity to the Orang Asli, the true but disenfranchised landlords of Malaysia.
The Menraq scheme will be followed by a larger scale project to create the PETRA Rangers. These rangers will be auxiliary police officers that undergo specialist forest ranger training. They will patrol the rainforest together with the park rangers and Orang Asli to track down the poachers and arrest them.
Sadly, without this intervention, at the current rate of decline, it seems like the local extinction of the Malayan tiger will occur sooner than we realise. We intend to reverse this – failure is not an option. We will not allow politics or economics to stand in the way.
Beyond what is happening elsewhere in our nation right now, it is time for all of us to make the protection and conservation of our environment and wildlife a priority. Give our future generations a chance to gaze in awe and wonder at these majestic tigers, and allow these proud animals to roar again. Let us finally do what is necessary to give our children’s children the home, the environment, and the ecosystem that is their birthright.
You can learn more about the Malayan tiger here. – The Vibes, January 1, 2021
Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar is chairman and group chief executive of the Petra Group
