Tigers get a bad rep these days. At the mention, some people conjure up images of the Tamil Tigers in their mind, or worse still, our national football team (nothing wrong with that, just their performance) or something with a negative connotation when you mention “tiger-show” especially in Ipoh.
But make no mistake. The tiger is a magnificent animal, one of the true apex predators of the Malaysian jungle. Since tigers don’t live in same climate as their big cat cousins (the lion, jaguar and leopard), it is safe to say the tiger stands alone as a symbol of courage and strength. It is no coincidence the tiger is our national symbol, look at our coat of arms, crest and emblems.
The Americans have their bald eagle, the Aussies with their kangaroos, our neighbours down South have their, um… Merlions, we have the proud tiger.
But the reality of it is that the number of tigers in the Malaysian wild is dwindling. This is true for most of our wildlife – from the large elephants to the small pangolins. But this here is our national animal we’re talking about here. Due to deforestation for urban expansion and agriculture, we have killed more than 80% of our remaining tigers. While our country struggles with issues of national identity and national unity (there’s definitely no shortage of media coverage on that), it is only obvious that we should protect the tiger and keep it as the a symbol of the Malaysian spirit. What it takes is political willpower from our government. And a conscious effort from all Malaysians.
Perhaps one day the tigers will go extinct here. Probably. By then how would it reflect on us Malaysians?
The tiger is our national animal. Our heritage. But today only less than 500 of them remain in the wild. As Malaysians, we need to stand up and protect our heritage. Speak to your children. Speak to your leaders. Everyone of us can make a difference.
For further information, please visit MYCAT (www.malayantiger.net), WWF Malaysia (www.wwf.org.my) and Department of Wildlife & National Parks (www.wildlife.gov.my)