Louder Roars for the Malayan Tiger

Posted on 15 November 2021

Louder Roars for the Malayan Tiger
‘Score for Tigers’ Challenge sees ripples of change through nationwide response

15 November 2021, Kuala Lumpur: Conservation efforts in Malaysia have seen welcome measures in recent weeks. Budget 2022 announced a RM450 million allocation for environment and biodiversity initiatives. The passing of the Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2021 by unanimous vote in Parliament on October 26 gave much needed support for the nation’s critically endangered wildlife, particularly for the Malayan tiger. Prior to that, Energy and Natural Resources Minister, Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, on 1 September, had stated the Ministry's commitment to safeguard the country's national resources.

Takiyuddin also said “the strengthening of Malayan Tiger conservation efforts will be continued to ensure that the country will not lose this iconic species” as he announced the formation of the National Conservation Task Force (MyTTF) to be chaired by the Prime Minister, and the set-up of a Tigers Working Group (TWG) to look at ways to increase tiger population in the wild.

At the recent Parliament sitting, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar emphasized that the tiger could go extinct in a mere five years to a decade. However, he also reiterated that the Cabinet had on June 16 agreed to nine strategic actions for the conservation of the species for a period of 10 years from 2021 to 2030.

While the situation is dire, it is also at a crucial tipping point. Now that Malayan tigers are ‘being heard’ at Parliamentary level, there is not a second to lose. Before another iconic species is lost, the time to activate the nine strategic actions is now. With MyTTF and TWG apparatus already in place, it is within our power to tip the scales in favour of the survival of the Malayan tiger.

These developments represent results which WWF-Malaysia had hoped for, when it launched the #ScoreForTigers campaign in partnership with Maybank from 29 July to 31 August 2021. The campaign, a social media challenge using the TikTok platform, leveraged Malaysians’ love of football to build awareness and support for Malayan tiger conservation by sharing their best football juggling videos to the #ScoreForTigers TikTok Juggling Challenge page. A #ScoreForTigers anthem was developed and performed by Malaysian stars Bunga and Kucaimars.

The campaign sparked a high level of awareness with more than half a million likes and 30,000 shares. The challenge saw more than 1,500 submissions with the #ScoreForTigers hashtag with the top 11 most ‘liked’ submissions winning an official ‘Score For Tigers’ jersey.

WWF-Malaysia Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sophia Lim said: “Our purpose, through this campaign, was to get as many people involved to create action and build a nationwide voice for Malayan tiger conservation. Thanks to all the likes and shares through the support of the participants, artists and influencers, the campaign achieved a reach of more than 14 million.”

Echoing Lim, Maybank Chief Sustainability Officer Shahril Azuar Jimin said, “Thanks to public support for this challenge, it has created ripples of change. The support and commitment by the government, with the formation of MyTTF and the TWG, is indeed very encouraging for Malayan tiger conservation efforts.”

“Maybank has partnered with WWF-Malaysia since 2016 to protect the nation’s living icon. Seeing the needle move a giant step forward gives us hope. What is important is that we keep that momentum. With the Year of the Tiger around the corner, swift actionable steps are crucial to turn the tide of extinction for the Malayan tiger”, he continued.

The wheels look set in motion. All eyes will be on Malaysia as the nation plans to host the 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation come the Year of the Tiger. The meeting will discuss proposals to increase protected area budgets to put more rangers on the ground and boost opportunities for tiger translocations and reintroductions, and also address the illegal trade of tigers and tiger parts.

With the snaring crisis in Southeast Asia, WWF is calling for governments in Southeast Asia to endorse a Southeast Asia Tiger Recovery Action Plan. If tiger recovery efforts in Southeast Asia have the elements of this Plan in place, this could well bend the curve for the tiger population not only in Malaysia but in all tiger range countries.

*Ends

Maybank – Humanising Financial Services
Maybank is among Asia's leading banking groups and Southeast Asia’s fourth largest bank by assets. The Maybank Group is present in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR & People's Republic of China, Dubai, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Laos, Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and the United States of America. The Group offers an extensive range of products and services, which includes consumer and corporate banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, stock broking, insurance and takaful and asset management. (www.maybank.com)

About WWF-Malaysia
WWF-Malaysia (World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia) was established in Malaysia in 1972. It currently runs projects covering a diverse range of environmental conservation and protection work, from saving endangered species such as tigers and turtles, to protecting our highland forests, rivers and seas. The national conservation organisation also undertakes environmental education and advocacy work to achieve its conservation goals. Its mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the nation’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. For latest news and media resources, click here

‘Suara’ Harimau Malaya didengari di peringkat Parlimen

15 November 2021, Kuala Lumpur: Usaha-usaha pemuliharaan di Malaysia dalam beberapa minggu ini melihat perkembangan yang sangat memberangsangkan.

Sebanyak RM450 juta diperuntukkan melalui Bajet 2022 untuk inisiatif alam sekitar dan biodiversiti. Dewan Rakyat telah meluluskan Rang Undang-Undang Pemuliharaan Hidupan Liar (Pindaan) 2021 pada 26 Oktober - suatu langkah penting dalam melindungi hidupan liar yang terancam, khususnya harimau Malaya.

Tambahan lagi, Menteri Tenaga dan Sumber Asli Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan telah menegaskan bahawa kementerian beliau komited dalam melindungi sumber negara. Selain itu, penubuhan ‘National Conservation Task Force’ (MyTTF) dan ‘Tigers Working Group’ (MyTWG) bukti Kerajaan serius dalam memperkukuhkan usaha memulihara dan menambah populasi harimau Malaya.

Baru-baru ini, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Parlimen dan Undang-Undang), Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar menjelaskan bahawa spesies Harimau Malaya dijangka pupus dalam tempoh lima hingga 10 tahun. Namun, Jemaah Menteri telah pun bersetuju dengan sembilan tindakan strategik pemuliharaan Harimau Malaya untuk tempoh 10 tahun bermula 2021 sehingga 2030.

Kita kini berada pada satu titik yang penting di mana suara Harimau Malaya ‘didengari’ di peringkat Parlimen. Jika kita tidak ingin satu lagi spesies ikonik hilang dari Malaysia, sembilan tindakan strategik ini harus diaktifkan sekarang.

Perkembangan positif seperti ini yang diimpikan oleh WWF-Malaysia, apabila kami melancarkan kempen #ScoreForTigers bersama Maybank dari 29 Julai sehingga 31 Ogos 2021. Cabaran menimbang bola di platform TikTok turut diadakan, dengan tujuan meningkatkan kesedaran dan meraih sokongan terhadap usaha pemuliharaan spesies ini. Kempen ini dimeriahkan lagi dengan lagu tema berjudul #ScoreForTigers yang digubah dan dipersembahkan oleh artis tempatan, Bunga dan Kucaimars.

Sukacita dimaklumkan bahawa cabaran ini mendapat sambutan baik, dan kami menerima 1,500 penyertaan. 11 peserta yang berjaya mendapat jumlah ‘likes’ terbanyak dihadiahkan jersi rasmi #ScoreForTigers. Dengan bilangan ‘likes’ melebihi setengah juta dan 30,000 perkongsian di semua platform media sosial, kempen ini memupuk tahap kesedaran yang tinggi di kalangan masyarakat mengenai pemuliharaan Harimau Malaya.

Pengarah Eksekutif dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) WWF-Malaysia Sophia Lim berkata: “Objektif kempen ini adalah untuk mendorong orang ramai dalam mengambil tindakan dan menjadi suara untuk Harimau Malaya. Berkat sokongan daripada peserta, artis dan ‘influencers’, kempen #ScoreForTigers berjaya mencecah ‘reach’ menjangkau 14 juta.”

Ketua Pegawai Kemampanan Maybank, Shahril Azuar Jimin berkata: “Kami berterima kasih kepada orang ramai kerana menyokong cabaran ini. Sokongan anda membantu cipta gelombang perubahan. Di samping itu, komitmen Kerajaan dalam menubuhkan MyTTF dan TWG adalah sangat menggalakkan untuk usaha pemuliharaan Harimau Malaya.”

“Maybank telah bekerjasama dengan WWF-Malaysia sejak tahun 2016 untuk melindungi haiwan ikonik ini. Melihat langkah-langkah baru yang diambil untuk memulihara Harimau Malaya memberi kami harapan. Sangat penting untuk kita kekalkan momentum ini. Lebih-lebih lagi dengan Tahun Harimau menjelang tiba. Mari kita bertindak pantas mengelak kepupusan Harimau Malaya,” ujarnya.

Semua mata kini tertumpu kepada Malaysia, yang merancang untuk menjadi tuan rumah Persidangan Pemuliharaan Harimau Peringkat Menteri-Menteri Asia ke-4 pada tahun hadapan. Mesyuarat itu akan membincangkan cadangan untuk meningkatkan bajet bagi kawasan perlindungan, menambah bilangan renjer dan mengatasi isu perdagangan hidupan liar termasuk harimau.

Berikutan krisis pemasangan jerat yang melanda Asia Tenggara, WWF menyeru kerajaan-kerajaan Asia Tenggara untuk menyokong Pelan Tindakan Pemulihan Harimau. Jika usaha pemulihan harimau di Asia Tenggara mengguna pakai elemen Pelan ini, kita boleh membengkokkan lengkung populasi harimau bukan sahaja di Malaysia tetapi di semua negara jangkauan harimau.

*Tamat

Mengenai Maybank
Maybank adalah antara kumpulan perbankan terkemuka di Asia dan keempat terbesar di Asia Tenggara dari segi aset. Kumpulan Maybank memiliki rangkaian antarabangsa melebihi 2.600 pejabat di Malaysia, Singapura, Indonesia, Filipina, Kemboja, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, India, China, UK, Amerika Syarikat, Pakistan, Arab Saudi, Uzbekistan dan Dubai. Kumpulan Maybank menawarkan pelbagai produk dan perkhidmatan, termasuk perbankan pengguna dan korporat, perbankan pelaburan, perbankan Islam, pembrokeran saham, insurans dan takaful serta pengurusan aset. Ia mempunyai lebih daripada 42,000 pekerja di seluruh dunia. (www.maybank.com)

Mengenai WWF-Malaysia
WWF-Malaysia atau Tabung Alam Malaysia merupakan sebahagian daripada rangkaian WWF, sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan antarangbangsa yang berusaha untuk memastikan kelestarian alam semula jadi bagi manfaat manusia dan hidupan liar. Ditubuhkan pada tahun 1972, WWF-Malaysia mempunyai misi “menghentikan degradasi alam semula jadi bumi dan membina masa hadapan yang harmoni untuk manusia dan alam sekitar.” Kebanyakan kerja WWF-Malaysia bertumpu kepada enam fokus, iaitu hutan, laut, hidupan liar, makananan, iklim dan tenaga; dan tiga pemacu utama kepada masalah persekitaran, iaitu pasaran, kewangan dan kerajaan. Jika anda ingin mengetahui lebih lanjut tentang projek-projek WWF-Malaysia, sila layari laman web kami di sini

Louder Roars for the Malayan Tiger

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