KUALA LUMPUR: The next two years will be critical for Harimau Malaya’s survival in the wild with the launch of an operation by Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to monitor known tiger habitats or “hotspots” in its battle against poaching. This comes even as Perhilitan put in a request for a number of army personnel to beef up their patrols as well as consider a “shoot-on-sight” policy against poachers.
“Ops Belang is a drastic programme to ensure our staff are everywhere – ‘boots on the ground’ – involving our staff at all levels in ensuring that wildlife is protected.“The main purpose of Ops Belang is to protect the species of our country’s icon – Harimau Malaya – which is now facing a reduction in numbers due to poaching and snares,” said its director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim recently.
