MALAYSIA never rests. Every day, we wake up to many issues. Our newspapers are filled with colourful stories, from reports that bring one relief, such as “Navy men found safe but hungry”, and those that frustrate us, like the recent increase in petrol prices.
Yet, I can claim that news on environmental protection is still limited in our media and newspapers. There are many reports on environmental issues, but articles on awareness of environmental conservation and preservation are rare.
As a postgraduate student, I am frequently asked what my research is on. When I say it is on the forest and wildlife conservation policy in Malaysia, many seem surprised that Malaysia actually has such policies.
I think the media and newspapers should allocate more space for this matter to educate the public. I remember asking my friends on a social networking site if they have heard of two major forest and wildlife conservation initiatives — Central Forest Spine (CFS) and Heart of Borneo (HoB). Many did not know of such efforts. Here is a short account of what they are.
Over the past decade, CFS and HoB, which are major initiatives, have been incorporated into Malaysia’s spatial plans. CFS (in Peninsular Malaysia) and HoB (in Sabah and Sarawak) aim to conserve and preserve remaining forest covers.
CFS spreads across 5.3 million hectares, covering four major forest complexes:
TITIWANGSA-Bintang-Nakawan Range;
NATIONAL Park-Timur Range;
SOUTHEAST Pahang, Chini and Bera Wetlands; and
ENDAU Rompin National Park-Kluang Wildlife Reserve.
Targeted to serve as the backbone of an environmentally sensitive area network, CFS connects forest islands to form a platform to conserve, preserve and manage remaining forest covers and wildlife population.
Likewise, HoB stretches across 22 million hectares across three countries — Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia — forming the largest contiguous forest cover in Southeast Asia. The initiative is led by each nation’s government and supported by non-governmental organisations, mainly World Wide Fund for Nature.
CFS and HoB facilitate a number of specific species programmes. One is the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan. The tigers in the Malayan region have been found to be a new subspecies only in 2004. Genetically different from the assumed Indo-Chinese tigers, the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) is named after famous tiger conservationist Peter Jackson.
Late last year, a similar plan to save elephants was launched. The National Elephant Conservation Action plan aspires to provide a well-connected forest for these large mammals to move about.
Currently, it is believed that there are only 300 Sumatran rhinos worldwide. Another endangered wildlife is the orangutan.
Make yourself and people around you aware of CFS and HoB. Environmental awareness is principal to concerns of conservation and enhancement of the environment. Sustainable development and environmental management is possible only with the participation of all stakeholders.
Agkillah Maniam, Auckland, New Zealand