STORY: Public awareness, participation critical in preserving Malaysia's tiger population
DATELINE: July 30, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:22
LOCATION: Kuala Lumpur
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of World Tiger Day celebrations at Malaysia Zoo
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RENARD SIEW YUNG JHIEN, Advisor of Centre for Governance and Political Studies Climate Change and Sustainability
3. various of tiger
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): RENARD SIEW YUNG JHIEN, Advisor of Centre for Governance and Political Studies Climate Change and Sustainability
5. various of tiger
 
STORYLINE:
 
Raising awareness among the public and encouraging their participation to support the government's conservation efforts are critical for Malaysia to preserve its dwindling tiger population, according to sustainability experts.
 
This will enable a strong mobilization that will raise the profile of threats to these endangered big cats while also reaffirming their place in Malaysia's natural and cultural spaces, Centre for Governance and Political Studies Climate Change and Sustainability Advisor Renard Siew Yung Jhien told Xinhua in a recent interview.
   
While the primary threat to the Malaysian Tiger, a subspecies native to the region, remains deforestation and illegal wildlife trade including poaching, Siew said more needs to be done to involve the public in conservation efforts.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RENARD SIEW YUNG JHIEN, Advisor of Center for Governance and Political Studies Climate Change and Sustainability
"We really have to focus on forest conservation and preservation and then there are pockets of initiatives that are already happening in Peninsula Malaysia, for example, the Central Forest Spine project, which aims to connect fragmented forests, so that they can actually end up being a wildlife corridor for wildlife to roam around freely to hunt for food and for survival. I think that's first and foremost."
 
Siew, who was born in the year of the tiger, said the tiger held a special place in his heart and mind, as it did for many other Malaysians, being featured in the country's coat of arms, in the name of its national football team as well as the country's national animal.
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): RENARD SIEW YUNG JHIEN, Advisor of Centre for Governance and Political Studies Climate Change and Sustainability
"So I was born in the year of the tiger. So it has a very symbolic meaning to me personally. Even as a kid, I personally, you know, like, came across one, while being involved in some of the jungle treks that we were doing and I think they are such majestic creatures. You know, as I've mentioned earlier, they are very symbolic, because they basically represent the health of our ecosystem. They're a symbol that our forests, ecosystem is actually thriving."
 
The Malayan Tiger, which was previously widespread in Southern Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, has seen its numbers dwindle to less than 150 animals in the wild, according to estimates by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kuala Lumpur.
(XHTV)