KUALA LUMPUR: The government has stepped up efforts and taken various initiatives to ensure the safety and welfare of the Orang Asli community in Kelantan affected by the threat of tigers since December 2021.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the ministry through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has spent a total RM201,250 since January, this year to address the human-tiger conflict in Gua Musang, involving operations to detect and capture tigers in the vicinity.
The Kota Bharu member of parliament said the cost involved the procurement of equipment and logistical requirements to carry out capture and control activities.
"This operation is still being carried out in an area of 88 square km using several methods to locate the tigers.
"The authorities have set up 64 units of camera traps around the villages and wildlife trails to monitor the presence of tigers.
"Besides that, drones are deployed to monitor and track tigers around easily visible locations such as logging roads.
"Perhilitan officers have been stationed in the area to monitor and conduct control patrols.
"Authorities have also sought the cooperation of local residents to report are new signs of tiger encroachments," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Takiyuddin was responding to Raub member of parliament Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji who raised the case of an Orang Asli in Perkampungan Sau, Pos Bihai, Gua Musang, Kelantan who was attacked by a tiger in January and requested details on initiatives taken to prevent another incident.
Meanwhile, commenting on a statement made by Kelantan Forestry Department director Abdul Khalim Abu Samah in January who had claimed that "logging is good for tigers and increases their population", Takiyuddin said the ministry had looked into the matter.
He said the statement was made based on a 2009 research conducted by WWF, which showed that selected logged forests may be able to support high population of tigers in Malaysia, and could therefore complement the role of protected areas for tiger conservation.
"That was the Kelantan Forestry Department head's view who said that structured logging in compliance with the annual felling ration (CTT) could help with the tiger population in Malaysia.
"The statement was made based on a WWF research which suggested that selectively logged forests can accommodate a high population of tigers.
"Perhilitan partly accepts this theory where it could be one of the factors to increase the country's tiger population."
It was previously reported that the festive celebration of rice harvesting and river fishing by the Orang Asli community of the Temiar tribe, at Kampung Sau in Pos Bihai here, turned into a tragedy when a man was killed by a tiger on January 7.
Meanwhile, on January 21, residents at Pos Ber were deeply concerned when tigers were seen roaming in the area.