KUALA LUMPUR – The Harimau Malaya squad are certainly living up to their name, pledging to donate RM1 of every ticket sold towards efforts to conserve the Malayan tiger.
In a joint statement today, the Youth and Sports Ministry and Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said they are collaborating in a campaign to prevent the big cat from going extinct.
This is to support efforts by the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry, which spearheads biodiversity conservation, said FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin.
He said the FAM executive committee had decided Tuesday on the donation pledge for matches involving the national team, and the money would be channelled to the sports ministry for this purpose.
“This is a mission that is clear for FAM and the sports ministry regarding the conservation of Malayan tigers. Every time we go out to play and watch football, we are contributing to the life of the Malayan tiger in Malaysia,” he said.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh urged all football fans to exhibit the same spirit to conserve the Malayan tiger as this is in line with the Malaysia Madani approach of emphasising sustainability.
“The Harimau Malaya is a symbol and sacred calling for the national football team. We do not want tigers to become a mere mascot or slogan one day (when they would no longer roam) the forests.
“If this species does become extinct, the country’s sustainability soul would simply fade, and it would be meaningless for the national team to be still called Harimau Malaya then. In fact, we hope to rope in youth through the Rakan Muda programme to support this noble effort,” she said.
Yeoh said the effort can be seen as innovative and inclusive because it involves the popular sport of football.
According to the sports ministry and FAM, the country’s wild tiger population has dropped from about 1,000 in the 1970s to fewer than 150 now due to various threats like poaching.
“Tigers are an important indicator of biodiversity and their survival in the country’s forests is vital for preserving the ecosystem that supports our own survival.
“Therefore, it is time now for everyone to support this conservation effort, and this is why the (sports ministry) and FAM have taken steps towards tiger conservation,” said the joint statement.
Kim Pan-gon’s Harimau Malaya squad will play a friendly against Turkmenistan tonight and Hong Kong next Tuesday.
Both games are scheduled to begin at 10pm at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. – Bernama, March 23, 2023
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