Outrage over the shooting of tiger

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has expressed outrage over the shooting of a three-year-old male tiger by a Rela member at Kampung Ulu Damaq in Sungai Bayor, Perak on Tuesday (June 22).

We fully understand that the safety of the villagers is of paramount importance, the Rela member should have notified and sought help from the Perak Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department instead of acting on his own.

The reason for killing the tiger, believed to have killed poultry belonging to a villager, was not acceptable.

MCA had received many calls from the public expressing their unhappiness and outrage over the shooting.

Infact, for the safety of the people and the tiger, the Rela member and villagers should have notified the authorities the first time they spotted the animal.

The tiger was believed to have strayed into the village some 10 km from the Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve to forage for food as its habitat had been encroached.

According to a report in The Star today (June 23) Selama acting OCPD Asst Superintendent Ramli Mohammad said the tiger had been spotted several times in the village and that it had apparently killed poultry belonging to a villager.

We can rear poultry or buy them in the market but not tigers. Beside, the number of tigers in the country is on the decline. Hence, tigers must be protected.

Besides a protected species and that the number of tigers in the country is on the
decline, tigers also have a very special place in the Malaysian culture, and that this year is also the Year of the Tiger.

I urge the authorities to have an in depth investigation on the matter and take action against those found guilty. This must serve as a lesson for others as well.


针对一只3岁的雄虎误闯村庄被司南马乌鲁大玛甘榜志愿警卫队联手射死一事，我认为司南马志愿警卫队应该寻求野生动物保护局的协助逮虎，而非擅自行动射杀闯入村庄的老虎。

我们充分了解村民的安全最重要，但警卫队发现老虎的足迹后，应该立即通知霹雳州野生动物保护及国家公园局以寻求帮助，而非自己行动。

我想，基于老虎捕食家禽而将牠射毙的理由不能接受。事发后，马华也接获许多民众致电表达他们对该射杀行动的不满和愤怒。

事实上，为了同时保护村民和老虎，志愿警卫队首次发现老虎踪迹后，就该第一时间通知有关当局。根据星报于23日的报道，霹雳司南马代警区主任南利莫哈末指被射毙的老虎已多次在村里出没，并捕食村民饲养的家禽。

被射毙的老虎相信是来自该新村10公里外的森林保留区。我们也相牠是由于栖息生态遭侵坏，而迫使牠闯入村内觅食。

家禽可以重新饲养或从市集上买，但老虎却不能。老虎不容易繁殖，加上数量不断下降，因此必须保护。再者，老虎在马来西亚文化中有独特的地位和意义，今年也恰好是虎年。

我促请有关当局就此事深入调查，并对付构罪的单位。我更希望国人能以此为鉴，进一步提高保护濒危动物和自然的醒觉和意识。

Demolishing Pig Abattoir, Temples and Kuils

In a multiracial society like ours, pig abattoir, temples, kuils, surau and masjid are highly sensitive issues. Often, it has to be managed well; otherwise it will be exploited to the fullest by vested interest group. This calls for experience, be sensitive to other races’ needs and managing people’s sensitivity and emotion. This is something that wakil rakyat have to learn the hard way, what we call the school of hard knocks. To an outsider, they may say that we are much ado about nothing. In a clinical manner, some of the pig abattoirs, temples, kuils and surau are no longer in the right place because of development.

Because it is highly sensitive, there is political mileage; hence a lot of political parties would want to champion the cause. Some would want the pig abattoir or the temple/kuil/surau to make way for development. Others would defend it at all costs. For the wakil rakyat where the subject matter is located, it is often a nightmare. Inability to prevent its demolition will signal that the wakil rakyat is politically impotent and has no clout to influence the administration. If the subject matter is prevented from demolition, it will sure boost up the image of the wakil rakyat. When the subject matter becomes highly controversial because of publicity, then it becomes a do and die for the wakil rakyat.

In the early stages of our country’s development, temples, kuils, surau and pig abattoirs were often built without consideration to the local development plan. To be fair, there was then no local development plan. Over a period of time and because of development plus the intermingling of the various races as a result of development, what was once an area dominated by one race suddenly become multiracial. This is when an innocent looking pig abattoir, temple/kuil/surau becomes highly sensitive to the local community.

If we do not allow emotions to be in control, then problem can be resolved in a very professional manner. However, while our country has developed physically, our political system is still stuck with race and religious consideration. What is a straightforward problem becomes one that is delicate and calls for some administrative and political acumen.

Demolition of all these sensitive premises sounds easy. It is finding the alternative location that presents the biggest headache to the power to be, especially at the state level. Because of the publicity generated, residents of the proposed site will invariably oppose. This only serves to complicate the matter. How to persuade residents to accept a new pig abattoir within their vicinity is never an easy problem. When I was an EXCO in Johor for 3 terms, I only had 2 incidents involving pig abattoir. One was successfully demolished since it generated a lot of problems to the surrounding residents because of the noise, pollution and the smell that finally, the abattoir had to go. There was no replacement for the abattoir since there was already a newly built abattoir. In the other incident, I managed to persuade the residents to accept a very old pig abattoir near the vicinity of the housing estate. I am not too sure whether the pig abattoir is still standing.

As for the demolition of temples and relocation, I must give credit to the Johor administration for adopting a fairly liberal attitude to what we call illegal temples and kuils. Most of them are allowed to exist as they have existed years ago. Demolition is hardly done. The Johor administration chooses relocation. In my 5 terms as wakil rakyat in Johor, I have yet to encounter a Chinese temple been demolished because of development. I dealt with 2 cases of kuil, which initially was supposed to be relocated and demolished. Since we are unable to find suitable alternative site, the developer was forced to accept the kuil in-situ and the development plan took into consideration the presence of the kuil. Of course the kuil was downsized since the number of Indians have correspondingly dropped considerably because of the development.

There is always this suspicion that the government is very restrictive in the construction of Chinese temples. It cannot be denied that the construction of new temples or extension of existing temples has to go through a very tedious process of red tape. I must admit that when I was an EXCO in Johor, I failed to address this issue. Often it becomes a fire fighting method of solving problems where by I have to bring the problem directly to the MB or to bring up at the EXCO meeting every Wednesday. Of course I am aware that this is not the best method of resolving issues.

Many years ago, I did a survey with some Chinese NGOs about the distribution of Chinese temples in the district of Batu Pahat. This survey revealed that there are more than 350 temples in Batu Pahat. It came as quite a shock to me. Batu Pahat district then had about 300,000 people of which about 40% are Chinese. This means there are 350 temples serving a Chinese community of 120,000 people. In short, one temple for about 350 people. At least in Batu Pahat district, there are more than adequate temples to serve the needs of the Chinese community.

在我国多元种族社会里，宰猪场、寺庙、祈祷所及回教堂被列为高度敏感的事项，必须谨慎处理。否则，容易被有心的利益集团利用制造课题。所以，这考验了我们的经验、对各族人民需求的敏感度以及人民感受和情绪的管理。这也是人民代议士必须苦学之道，唯有从现实吸取经验，甫在逆境中锤炼成才。外局人或认为我们小题大做、无事生非。但实际上，因为地方发展，许多宰猪场、寺庙以及祈祷所的坐落点已经不合适了。

由于课题性质高度敏感，因而具有政治效应，所以许多政党争相维护。有人支持拆除宰猪场或寺庙或祈祷所让路予地方发展，有人誓死捍卫保全。这种局面，有如当地代议士的梦魇。若无力阻止拆除行动，将显示该议员的政治无能，在政府没有影响力。相反的，若阻止成功该议员的形象和声誉将即刻大增。

在我国发展初期，寺庙、兴都庙、祈祷所及宰猪场的建立一般上未考虑到地方发展计划。事实上，当时也没有所谓的地方发展计划。经过一段时间后，不断的开发和发展让不同族群交集一起，使本由单一种族主导的地区，突然变成一个多元种族社区，也让那些“无辜”的宰猪场、寺庙/兴都庙/祈祷所顿时成为高度敏感的地方课题。

其实，只要不感情用事，就能理智而专业地解决问题。然而，虽然我国在发展领域已取得具体的成果，惟其政治体系还停留在种族和宗教的框架，使一项简单的问题变得复杂脆弱，处理时需要政治的敏锐感。

要拆除这些被指敏感的场所很容易，但要寻找替代地点却让有关当局，特别是地方政府伤脑筋。基于事件被广泛宣传，建议中的替代地点居民必极力反对，而使问题更复杂。要说服居民接受在他们家附近建新宰猪场犹如登天。我担任3届州行政议员期间，曾处理过两宗宰猪场事件。第一宗，该宰猪场因严重的噪音、污染和臭味问题被关闭和拆除。由于已有一所新宰猪场，被拆除的宰猪场未获迁移至替代地点。在另一事件中，我成功说服居民接受一家久远经营的宰猪场迁移至此。不过，我不确定该宰猪场至今是否还存在。

在拆除和搬迁庙宇行动中，我必须赞扬柔佛州政府合理和开明对待那些列为“非法”的寺庙和兴都庙，因为大部分仍获准继续存在或搬迁。我当了5届议员，都没有出现因发展而被拆除的华人寺庙。曾有两间兴都庙面临搬迁后再拆除，但鉴于有关当局无法寻得适合的新地点，发展上被迫接受该庙在原位立存，还把该庙列入当地的发展计划中。当然，由于不少印裔居民因发展而逐渐搬离该区，这间兴都庙也因信徒人数减少而缩小规模。 人们总有这般迷思，认为政府百般限制建设华人庙宇。建造新寺庙或扩展现有庙宇都必须经过非常繁琐繁文缛节，这一点则无可否认。我承认担任州行政议员期间，也无法纠正这项弱点，以致我们常以灭火式途径来解决相关问题。通常我会直接上传州务大臣，或在每周州行政议会中提出。当然，我了解这不是最好的解决方案。

多年前，我对一些华裔非政府组织进行巴株峇辖区内的华人庙宇分布调查。调查结果显示，单单在巴株峇辖就有350间华人庙宇，让我震惊不已。目前，巴株峇辖人口约30万人，华人占40％。12万人和350间寺庙的比例，意味着一间寺庙只有350位信徒。这表示，巴株峇辖拥有足够的华人庙宇应付和满足信徒的需求。

Protecting Animals Facing Extinction

Malaysia is recognized as one of the 12 nations with mega biodiversity, with a wide range of flora and fauna. Unfortunately, most Malaysians do not have much interest or appreciate the diversity of flora and fauna in our country. Not many people are interested in going into the jungle. Ecotourism, which has great potential in this country, is sadly neglected. To aggravate matter, there are a lot of people who are interested to consume exotic animal meat, ranging from monitor lizard, bear paws to tiger penis for the purported aphrodisiac properties. Hence, in Malaysia, human beings eat more tigers than tigers eating man every year.

Trading in protected and threatened species is a lucrative business. A monitor lizard can cost up to RM50-100 and there seems to be ever-ready market. Even the anteater is not spared. Since forest is regarded as the state matter, the protection of the forest and the natural habitat of the animals falls within the state government. Most MBs or CMs plus the EXCOs or the EXCO in charge of the forest often have no interest or lack of knowledge or do not have the political will to protect their forest. When I was an EXCO in Johor, I was put in charge of looking after the forest. It was during this time about 10 years that I came to learn a lot about the flora and fauna and that there is lack of awareness, interest and commitment in looking after our forest with its diversity of flora and fauna. It was through the support of Tan Sri Muhyiddin, the then Johor MB and Datuk Abdul Ghani, who is still the Johor MB that I managed:

1)   To gazette Endau Rompin Johor site as the state park and that these gazettement can only be removed in the state assembly of Johor and not through the executive power of the MB. In this respect, I must thank the Danish government for funding through Danced, a sum of RM6 million to develop an Educational and Research Centre in the jungle of Endau Rompin. I also constructed a dormitory and 30 chalets with the help of the Orang Asli community. The electricity is generated by solar power. Since I have not gone into the Endau Rompin state park in Kg Peta in the last 5 years, I hope that the Educational and Research Centre is still functioning. There used to be foreign and local scientists staying deep in the jungle doing research on tropical flora and fauna. I even started an arbotariuam and also an area for the cultivation of wellknown herbal products found within the jungle, like Tongkat Ali, Kacip Fatimah and etc. A 2^nd scientific expedition was launched during this time, comprising scientists from UKM, UM. I found that there was not much enthusiasm that every time I proposed to conduct a meeting deep in the jungle.

2)   In 2001, I opened up a new entry point for the Endau Rompin Park located in the Orang Asli Kg. Selai in Bekok. I also built through funding from the state government and also from the Ministry of Tourism about 20 very simple chalets. I started a natural pond where fishing is not allowed to breed threatened fish like kelah. Last weekend, I and YB Chua Tee Yong and a group of local residents made a trip to the Orang Asli community in Kg. Kemudak, Kg. Tamuk and Kg. Selai. The orang Asli community, numbered about 500 of them are voters within the constituency of Labis. Most of them are familiar with me since I have been interacting with them for the last 10 years. I am happy to note that the pond used for breeding threatened species of fish is thriving with Kelah with the size about 1.5kg. I am told that the 1kg of Kelah costs about RM400-500. I met a Scandinavian couple who have been staying there for the last 3 days. They told me that after spending 10 days in Malaysia, they found that this is the best place to visit. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Johor Endau Rompin Park management for maintaining very well the Selai entry point. Park ranger who works in the jungle needs commitment and dedication.  

3)   I manage to have 3 sites designated as Ramsar site, Pulau Pisang, Tg. Piai and part of Sg. Pulai. When I started this journey of trying to name this 3 site as Ramsar site, I have no idea then that it involves a lot of work with NGOs, especially MNS, WWF and the scientific community from the local universities. It took us 2 years before we succeeded in having the 3 sites designated as Ramsar site. I have not been to the 3 sites in the last 5 years and I will reserve my comment. We are well known for starting something new with a bang but with poor maintenance culture, I need to visit the place again before I can comment.

4)   I also started a new Gunung Ledang park, mainly more to promote ecotourism. This site is still managed by the Johor Endau Rompin Park and it is different from the Gunung Ledang resort, which I felt, was too commercialized with very little educational value about our flora and fauna. Again, I have not visited this Gunung Ledang Park, which is situated about 10km away from the Gunung Ledang resort. I was surprised that when we mounted the 24 hours camera deep in the jungle of Gunung Ledang, it recorded tiger, and threatened species of gibbon.

To protect our threatened species, we need:

1)   to educate our rakyat to appreciate and value our flora and fauna. In Denmark, school conduct regular outing for school children to educate them about simple plants, fish and animals so that they are more appreciative of their environment. In Denmark, environmental NGOs have more membership than political parties. 

2)   Not to eat exotic animal product or to be involved in trading;

3)   Politicians at the state and federal who are involved in looking after the jungle should attend some awareness course about basic sciences of botany and zoology so that they will appreciate more about the beauty and the heritage of our flora and fauna;

4)   Review all the outdated laws, which are today inadequate in protecting our flora and fauna. A fine of RM5000 for trading in protected species is peanuts. The time has come for mandatory jail sentence. Otherwise, our children can only see a monitor lizard in the zoo.