We must save the tigers, to save ourselves

THERE are moments in a nation’s life when history will judge us -not by our slogans, not by our headlines, but by the actions we took when it mattered most.

Today, Malaysia faces one such moment. We are on the verge of losing our national symbol, the Malayan tiger. Not in a distant future, but within our lifetime. From over 3,000 tigers in the 1950s, we now have fewer than 150 left in the wild.

The number is staggering. But what is more staggering is how we - through negligence, greed, and short-sightedness - allowed this to happen.

We carved up their habitat with highways and plantations. We destroyed the delicate corridors they roam, cutting off families, splitting territories, forcing them into smaller, unsustainable pockets of forest. We turned a blind eye as poachers, often from international crime syndicates, slaughtered them for profit - fuelled by myths, status symbols, and illegal markets.

And we did all this while proudly printing the tiger on our emblems, our logos, our uniforms. We wear it on our chests, while it dies in our forests. What hypocrisy. What betrayal.

But let me be clear - this is not just about saving a species for national pride. This is about saving our ecosystem, our biodiversity, and ultimately, ourselves. The tiger is what scientists call an “apex species”- its survival ensures the survival of countless other species.

 Its presence maintains the balance of our rainforests, which in turn sustains our air, our water, and our climate. If the tiger falls, the ecosystem begins to unravel. And we, foolishly thinking we stand apart from nature, will pay the price. Yet, as dark as this moment feels, I believe we still have a chance. And we have seen proof of it.

Efforts by RIMAU

I am a proud supporter of RIMAU, an organisation that has, through dedication and innovation, reversed - at least temporarily - the downward spiral in Perak. They created the Menraq Rangers, made up of the local Jahai Orang Asli community. Local guardians protecting their ancestral forests. Malaysians, standing up for Malaysia’s symbol.

These are the kinds of efforts that give us hope. And these are the kinds of efforts that must be backed, expanded, and multiplied. There are champions around us - unsung heroes who have dedicated their lives to saving the Malayan tiger.

But they will only succeed if we stand behind them. That is what we must do. Find the champion you believe in and stand with them. Support them. Donate, volunteer, advocate, educate. Do something – anything. And beyond personal action, we need systemic change.

We must declare a national emergency on tiger conservation. This must be a whole-of-government, whole-of-society effort. From the Prime Minister to the village chief, from corporate boardrooms to school classrooms - everyone must own this mission.

We must strengthen anti-poaching enforcement. Equip and fund our wildlife rangers as we do our police and military. Deploy drones, sensors, and AI-powered surveillance. Make poaching a serious crime with serious punishment - and enforce it.

We must restore and reconnect forest corridors. Build wildlife crossings over highways. Create buffer zones around plantations. Ensure our tigers can roam free, safely, and sustainably.

And we must engage business and technology. Corporate Malaysia, step up. Let this be part of your ESG legacy.

Partner with the government and conservation groups. Adopt tiger landscapes. Let’s build a model where business and nature work together, not against each other. We are a nation that has overcome incredible odds. We have survived political upheavals, economic crises, and even pandemics.

Surely, we can save the very creature that has defined our identity for generations. Because when we save the tiger, we save the forest. When we save the forest, we save the planet. And when we save the planet, we save ourselves.

Let us be remembered not as the generation that let the Malayan tiger disappear into history - but as the generation that roared back and gave it a future.

Malaysia Boleh. Malaysia Mesti! – May 15, 2025

Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar is the publisher of the Vibes and Chairman of the Petra Group