Govt declares war against poachers to save Malayan Tigers
KUALA LUMPUR: In its commitment to ensure the Malayan Tiger or Harimau Malaya does not become extinct, the government has declared war on poachers as its national agenda.
Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said a task force was being created under the Tiger Protection and Patrolling Programme.
The establishment of the task force — comprising 2,000 personnel from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia, armed forces and police — is crucial due to the increasing number of snares and intrusions of foreign and local residents on tiger habitats.
“The time has come to stop the killings of Malayan Tigers and other wildlife by these ruthless poachers. Today, on World Wildlife Day, I am declaring war against poachers,” he said at the pre-launch of the “Save our Malayan Tiger Campaign” in conjunction with World Wildlife Day here yesterday.
Xavier said the two-year campaign began yesterday, with the prime minister’s wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali and Perhilitan as the patrons of the campaign.
Xavier said he was informed that out of more than 1,000 operations carried out from 2013 to last year, 3,500 snares were destroyed and 162 intruders consisting of 98 Malaysians and 64 foreigners were arrested for wildlife offences.
He said under the campaign, the ministry had established the Biodiversity Conservation Trust Fund, where companies and agencies could contribute to it for enforcement, conservation and awareness activities.