By SCMP’s Asia desk
Copyright scmp
Malaysian police have arrested three men on suspicion of poaching a critically endangered Malayan tiger, after the animal’s carcass was discovered inside the boot of a car in the southern state of Johor.
The grisly discovery was made during a joint operation by the Bukit Aman Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and the Johor Department of Wildlife and National Parks on Tuesday morning in Felda Tenggaroh, Mersing.
In a statement on social media, the FRU said its intelligence unit had inspected a Perodua Alza multipurpose vehicle and uncovered the carcass of a Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni), believed to have been hunted illegally. Three men, aged between 28 and 49, were arrested after failing to produce special permits for possessing the protected species.
The FRU confirmed that the tiger had suffered severe snare wounds and six gunshot injuries to the head, which were believed to have caused its death during an initial examination.
Authorities also seized the vehicle and four mobile phones, with the combined value of confiscated items estimated at 294,007 ringgit (US$70,000). All suspects and seized items were taken to the Mersing district police headquarters for further investigation.
“Harimau belang [tigers] are a priceless national treasure. Their loss due to human greed is a betrayal of our heritage,” FRU commander SAC Rosli Md Yusof said in the statement.
“FRU intelligence will remain at the forefront, working with our partner agencies to defend every national treasure. We are committed to eradicating illegal poaching without compromise, as this is a trust we carry for the preservation of nature and future generations,” he added.
The suspects were remanded to assist in investigations under Section 70 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, which criminalises possession of totally protected wildlife without a special permit. If convicted, they could face fines of up to 300,000 ringgit, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.
The Malayan tiger is listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with fewer than 150 believed to remain in the wild across Peninsular Malaysia as of 2022. The species faces persistent threats from habitat loss, prey depletion and organised poaching syndicates.
On Wednesday, Johor State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the state’s government would not compromise on poaching and described the killing of the endangered tiger as a “heinous crime”.
“Johor will intensify enforcement, intelligence and surveillance in high-risk areas to curb poaching and wildlife trafficking. We urge the public to continue assisting the authorities by reporting such activities,” he said, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
In February, Malaysia’s environment ministry said preliminary data suggested a modest rise in the tiger population, although official updated population figures have not yet been published.
