KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 (NNN-Bernama) — The Malaysian government is serious in tackling the issue of a depleting Malayan Tiger (Harimau Malaya) population as there are now fewer than 150 of the iconic tiger in the country’s forests, said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said if immediate action was not taken, Malaysia faced the risk of seeing the Malayan Tiger, known by its scientific name Panthera Tigris Jacksoni, going extinct.
“More worrying is the fact that this iconic species of the country may be lost forever,” he said in a statement after chairing the first meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Task Force (MyTTF) Monday.
The Malayan Tiger is a symbol of the coat of arms of Malaysia and features in the crest of states, government ministries, departments and agencies.
Ismail Sabri said the dwindling Malayan Tiger population was due to loss of habitat and food sources resulting from land use changes, hunting and illegal trade in animals, as well as the spread of the canine distemper virus.
He said today’s meeting agreed with the Strategic Actions for Conservation of Harimau Malaya for a 10-year period beginning this year, through the implementation of six approaches including boots on the ground joint operations involving the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Armed Forces and the indigenous (Orang Asli) community.
He said the MyTTF also agreed to preserve and strengthen habitat through sustainable land use management and to stop any activities of encroachment and illegal hunting.
“Another measure agreed to is to increase the forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia from 43.41 per cent now to 50 per cent by 2040, in line with the Fourth National Physical Plan,” he added.
— NNN-BERNAMA