‘Score for Tigers’ Challenge Kicks off to a Roaring Start

Posted on 28 July 2021

‘Score for Tigers’ Challenge Kicks off to a Roaring Start
Global Tiger Day 2021 calls for national solidarity to protect the iconic Malayan tiger

28 July 2021, Kuala Lumpur: The nationwide ‘Score For Tigers’ challenge kicks off at 3pm on Thursday (29 July) with a virtual launch in conjunction with Global Tiger Day.

Organised by WWF-Malaysia in partnership with Maybank, the month-long challenge underscores the urgency for immediate action to address the declining numbers of Malayan tigers in the wild.

‘Score for Tigers’ is a social media challenge using the TikTok platform where participants symbolically play in defence for the Malayan tiger by attempting as many football juggles as possible. The results will be shared on their social media platforms. The top 11 submissions with the most ‘likes’ will win the official ‘Score For Tigers’ jersey.

“We would like to see Malaysia’s football supporters turn into tiger supporters and together build a nationwide voice to create action and get the ball rolling,” said WWF-Malaysia Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sophia Lim.

Local artistes and personalities participating in support of this challenge include Asyraf Nasir, Armani Kowachee, Theeban G, Rod Monteiro, Calista Leah Liew, Jeremy Teo, Syiera Eyya and Christine Das. The virtual launch also features the ‘Score For Tigers’ anthem performed by popular Malaysian rapper Bunga and singer Kucaimars. The national football team, Harimau Malaya, is also lending its support to the challenge.

Wild tiger numbers are declining across mainland Southeast Asia, and it is now a near certainty that these countries will have fewer than they did in 2010 - the year the goal was set to double the world’s wild tigers by 2022. Over the last 25 years tigers have become extinct in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, with significant population decline in Myanmar and Malaysia. Poaching, deforestation, forest fragmentation and habitat loss are threats which continue to accelerate this decline. If concerted action is not taken swiftly, the Malayan tiger will soon follow the path of extinction

"Collaboration between the government, NGOs, corporate partners and local communities has already reduced poaching in Malaysia’s Belum-Temengor Forest Complex. We now need to scale this up across the country and match it with strong political will. The government has already approved a national tiger crisis action plan that will foster a whole-of-nation approach to avert the complete loss of tigers in the country,” said Lim.

“We must protect the Malayan tiger no matter the cost,” she emphasised.

Maybank echoed Lim’s sentiments, adding that companies can play a role in tiger conservation by being more sustainable and upholding environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

Maybank Chief Sustainability Officer Shahril Azuar Jimin said, “We are at a critical moment where we could lose our tigers in the next few years. Hence, Maybank has partnered with WWF-Malaysia since 2016 as part of the collective efforts to protect this majestic animal. Conservation is an ongoing endeavour and if we remain steadfast, we will see the number of wild tigers increase. Through our M25 plan, under the sustainability charter, biodiversity is one of our key focus areas. And central to this is our commitment to the conservation of the Malayan tiger.”

With the Year of the Tiger around the corner, nationwide scale awareness and actionable steps implemented swiftly would be what is needed to turn the tide of extinction for the Malayan tiger.

The Score for Tigers challenge ends on 30 August. For more details, please visit wwf.org.my/scorefortigers

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Cabaran 'Score for Tigers’ Dilancar Sempena Hari Harimau Sedunia
Rakyat Malaysia diseru bersolidariti dalam melindungi spesies ikonik Harimau Malaya

28 Julai 2021, Kuala Lumpur: Serentak dengan pelancaran Hari Harimau Sedunia, cabaran ‘Score For Tigers’ anjuran Tabung Alam Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) dan Maybank dilancarkan secara maya pada hari Khamis (29 Julai).

Cabaran in akan diadakan selama sebulan di platform TikTok untuk meningkatkan kesedaran mengenai kepentingan bertindak segera mengatasi krisis kepupusan harimau Malaya. Aktiviti ini adalah simbolik usaha mempertahankan spesis ikonik negara kita.

Untuk menyertai cabaran ini, para peserta harus menimang bola sebanyak mungkin dan memuat naik video ke semua platform media sosial mereka. 11 penyertaan dengan jumlah ‘likes’ terbanyak akan memenangi jersi rasmi ‘Score For Tigers’.

"Kami berharap penyokong bola sepak Malaysia akan menunjukkan semangat yang sama terhadap usaha menyelamatkan harimau Malaya. Marilah berganding bahu dan bersama-sama bertindak untuk memulihara spesis ini," kata Pengarah Eksekutif dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) WWF-Malaysia Sophia Lim.

Cabaran ini dimeriahkan lagi dengan penyertaan artis dan personaliti tempatan seperti Asyraf Nasir, Armani Kowachee, Theeban G, Rod Monteiro, Calista Leah Liew, Jeremy Teo, Syiera Eyya dan Christine Das. Pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan - Harimau Malaya - turut menyokong cabaran ini. Selain itu, lagu tema pembuka ‘Score for Tigers’ dipersembahkan oleh rapper Bunga dan penyanyi Kucaimars pada acara pelancaran maya.

Populasi harimau liar di seluruh Asia Tenggara kian menurun. Apa yang pasti, bilangan harimau di negara-negara ini kurang berbanding 2010 - iaitu tahun di mana matlamat telah ditetapkan untuk menggandakan populasi harimau sebelum 2022. Sejak 25 tahun yang lalu, harimau telah pupus di Kemboja, Laos dan Vietnam dengan penurunan yang ketara di Malaysia dan Myanmar. Spesis ini terus diancam kegiatan pemburuan haram serta penebangan dan pemecahan hutan yang memusnahkan habitat harimau. Sekiranya kita tidak mengambil tindakan serta-merta, harimau Malaya akan pupus.

"Kerjasama antara kerajaan, NGO, rakan korporat dan masyarakat orang asli telah mengurangkan insiden pemburuan haram di Kompleks Hutan Belum-Temengor. Buat masa ini, kita harus meningkatkan usaha di seluruh negara pada setiap peringkat termasuk politik. Kerajaan telah pun meluluskan pelan tindakan krisis nasional yang akan menggunakan pendekatan secara keseluruhan bagi mengelak kepupusan harimau Malaya,” kata Lim.
"Kita mesti melindungi harimau Malaya dengan sedaya upaya," ujarnya.

Sentimen ini digemakan oleh Ketua Pegawai Kelestarian Maybank, Shahril Azuar Jimin, yang berkata bahawa syarikat-syarikat memainkan peranan penting dalam usaha pemuliharaan harimau dan mengamalkan kriteria persekitaran, sosial, dan pemerintahan (ESG).

Menurut beliau, “Kita kini berada di saat genting di mana kita mungkin akan kehilangan harimau dalam masa beberapa tahun. Maybank telah bekerjasama dengan WWF-Malaysia sejak tahun 2016 untuk melindungi haiwan agung ini. Jika kita ingin melihat populasi harimau meningkat, kita harus tabah meneruskan usaha pemuliharaan. Melalui pelan M25, di bawah piagam kelestarian, kepelbagaian biologi adalah salah satu keutamaan kami di Maybank. Penting sekali adalah komitmen kami terhadap pemuliharaan harimau Malaya.”

Tahun Harimau semakin menjelang tiba. Kesedaran berskala nasional serta tindakan pantas amat diperlukan untuk mengubah nasib harimau Malaya.

Cabaran Score for Tigers berakhir pada 30 Ogos. Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila layari wwf.org.my/scorefortigers

‘Score for Tigers’ Challenge Kicks off to a Roaring Start

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