The Star 9 Sep 10;
KUALA LUMPUR: The orang asli in Malaysia are the “best eyes and ears” for enforcement officers of the Government to help reduce wildlife poaching, said academician Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee.
The Malaysia Nature Society (MNS) member said proactive action should be taken to get Malaysia’s indigenous people to be part of the nation’s nature conservation efforts.
“They know the forests well enough compared to others and they are the best ‘enforcers’ in keeping wildlife safe,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Due to encroachment by poachers, Dr Ahmad said the orang asli could be tempted easily when money was involved.
He also said the orang asli were animal lovers and were well-suited as eco-tourist guides.
“We should give them the needed training to take part in eco-tourism,” he added.
He said there was lack of public awareness on the impact and importance of biodiversity even though Malaysia was listed 12th in the world in terms of mega biodiversity.
Its rapid rate of depletion on flora had also caused concern.
Dr Ahmad said public should be educated on the importance of preserving nature.
Dr Ahmad added that MNS would host a two-day international conference themed “Challenges and Solutions for Tropical Biodiversity” from Oct 8 to discuss the current status and trends in Malaysia’s tropical biodiversity.
For more information, log on to www.mns.my.
