Chan Li Leen, The Star 19 Feb 10;
IPOH: A Perak orang asli leader believes that a tiger caught in a snare set up by the orang asli in Sungkai two weeks ago may have been trapped by mistake.
Perak Orang Asli Foundation chairman Suki Mee said that the Semai would not trap a tiger because they regard tigers as their ancestors.
“According to the shaman, tigers are the reincarnation of our ancestors and guardians. They are like our grandfathers.
“Bad luck and illness will befall the person and the entire village if a Semai kills a tiger,” said Suki Mee, himself a Semai.
Orang asli Yok Meneh, also of the Semai tribe, claimed last Saturday that he was attacked by the tiger while on his way to gather petai at the Bukit Tapah Forest Reserve.
However, it was later found that he had been attacked while trying to kill the tiger, which was caught in a snare and left to die by other orang asli.
The Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has since initiated investigations. It is learnt that it will be referring the matter to the Deputy Public Prosecutor.
Suki Mee said he believed that the snare in which the four-year-old male tiger was caught had been set up to trap other animals like wild boars.
“In all my 46 years, I have never heard of orang asli hunting tigers to sell. I don’t believe any orang asli would hunt or eat tigers. No one eats tiger within the Semai tribe.
“It’s not our way,” he insisted.
Suki Mee came to the defence of Yok after World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma was quoted as saying that many middlemen were using orang asli to hunt for wildlife, including tigers, for their parts.
Dr Dionysius’ comment has also earned the ire of Perhilitan director Shabrina Shariff.
“It is a sweeping statement to say that the orang asli are poaching wildlife as we know most of the perpetrators are foreigners and other Malaysians.
“You have to put forth the evidence,” she said.
When contacted, Dr Dionysius said there could be more to the story than mere hunting of wildlife by the orang asli for food.
“It could be argued that the tiger is a revered animal amongst the orang asli but then there may be some who are into the trade for the money,” he added.
