The bank will donate the money to the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) in an effort to highlight the plight of the Malayan tiger, said Maybank chairman Tan Sri Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor.

The continuous decline in the wild tiger population worldwide, which has an adverse impact on both the biodiversity system and national heritage, has led to governments, corporations, non-governmental organisations and individuals heightening tiger conservation efforts globally, he said.

The money would be used in three areas — scientific and research studies, outreach programmes and enforcement support, he said at the launch of the Maybank-MYCAT partnership for tiger conservation, here Thursday.

Megat Zaharuddin said Maybank took a firm stand in tiger conversation with a corporate responsibility plan that would see significant emphasis placed on improving the sustainability of the Malayan tiger.

“Malaysia is one of the 13 countries that have joined forces to double the number of wild tigers by 2022 via an approach that values sustainable progress and creating a bright future for the generations to come,”

he added.

MYCAT is a joint progamme of the Malaysian Nature Society, supported by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia, for joint implementation of the National Tiger Action Plan for Malaysia.

Source: Bernama

The Andaman

Five hotels in Malaysia have been chosen as the new recipients of the Asean Green Hotel Award 2010, bringing the total number of such hotels in the country to 10.

The five hotels are The Andaman Langkawi in Kedah, Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa in Kota Kinabalu, Mines Wellness Hotel in Selangor, Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort in Tuaran and Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel.

The Asean Green Hotel Award 2008 recipients which managed to retain their status were Hotel Melia Kuala Lumpur, Nexus Resort Karambunai in Sabah, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa in Penang, Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur and The Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa.

The Asean Green Hotel Stan­dard is an essential tool to support Asean as a world-class quality destination.

Mines Wellness

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, in a statement, said among the criteria used were encouraging the use of green products, provision of training programmes for operation on environmental management and introduction of waste management techniques such as recycling.

A total of 155 hotels from 10 Asean countries received the award yesterday during the Asean Tourism Forum 2010 being held at the Empire Hotel and Country Club here.

In an unrelated development, the tourism ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philip­pines (BIMP) launched the “EQUATOR ASIA” brand and logo as a “single tourism destination” hailed as the world’s most biologically productive regions.

Tanjung Aru

EQUATOR ASIA is located along the equator covering the BIMP East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

During a press conference, Dr Ng credited the country’s strategic planning and good crisis management as the key tools to recording the highest increase in percentage of tourist arrivals among Asean countries.

“We have accountable leaders to be on 24 hours standby for crisis management so that immediate actions are taken,” she said.

Source: The Star Online

Regional networking
The highlight of the conference was a networking session with the Malaysian Medical Association (Sarawak) members where a local consultant briefed the group on the medical developments in Sarawak to improve services in rural areas.

Dr Robyn Napier, medical secretary and medical director of the Australian Medical Association (NSW), says: “Our colleagues in Sarawak come from first-hand experience and I am looking forward to incorporating that knowledge into our practices back home. For me, the real highlight is what I have learnt. Groups must come to Sarawak.”

Rewarding interactions
The group was energised by a day spent with some of Sarawak’s most cherished residents. Delegates spent the morning experiencing the ‘Heart-to-Heart with Orangutans’ activity at the Matang Wildlife Centre, where the apes undergo rehabilitation before being returned to the wild.

The programme was developed by the Sarawak Convention Bureau and Sarawak Forestry as an interactive CSR programme that builds awareness of the endangered animal as well as giving delegates an opportunity to connect with the destination.

Rangers briefed the group on the conservation programme before leading a tour through the centre. Delegates were then assigned tasks such as painting the walls, cleaning cages or assisting with the Orangutan Enrichment Programme. After lunch, the group transferred to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre to see semi-wild orangutans in their natural habitat. The group then spent two nights at Borneo Highland Resort, which offers one of the region’s top golf courses and a jungle spa.

Organiser David Broit of Platinum International Travel, says: “The success of bringing my first two groups into Sarawak means that it is a definite inclusion in my tour programme for future groups.”

Source: cei

Department of Marine Parks director-general Abdul Jamal Mydin said today these islands were selected based on their biodiversity and ecosystem, the marine life and corals in their waters as well as their tourist draw.

He spoke to reporters after briefing Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and the media here as part of efforts to forge a strategic relationship between the department and the media to raise public awareness on conservation of marine biodiversity.

Abdul Jamal said a marine park was a designated area for a distance of two nautical miles from the lowest sea level of an island and was established to protect and conserve various marine life and their habitat.

The existence of marine parks had attracted more than 500,000 domestic and foreign tourists annually since their establishment in 2000, he said.

He also said that the department would step up patrols and enforcement with the cooperation of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to protect marine life from destruction.

Abdul Jamal said the department would set up more “Rakan Park” (Friends of the Park) to keep a lookout for illegal activities and environmental problems in the marine parks.

Last year, 70 arrests were made for illegal fishing in the marine parks and destroying the corals, of which 21 cases were in Pahang.

Meanwhile, Kurup said the ministry would step up efforts to attract more tourists to islands gazetted as marine parks, with the collaboration of the Tourism Ministry.

Source: newstraitstimes

Muhyiddin Yassin said the government’s new biodiversity council had adopted the National Tiger Action Plan in a bid to boost the dwindling population.

The plan targets an increase in the Malayan tiger population “to 1,000 by 2020 in their natural habitat,” he told state media Bernama late Wednesday.

“We will take concrete efforts to protect the tigers, including in situ conservation efforts. The aim is to also widen the area where wildlife is protected.”

Wildlife activists have welcomed the government’s endorsement of the plan, urging greater enforcement of laws to protect the animals.

“High level support behind the action plan is crucial not just to save tigers but their habitat and prey species,” Chris Shepherd, acting head of wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC Southeast Asia told AFP.

A “decline in their prey base” is one of the key threats to the tigers, he added.

The government said in July it has also sought the help of the military to battle poaching, which wildlife activists say has reduced the number of Malayan Tigers in the wild from around 3000 in the 1950s to fewer than 500 tigers now.

“Enforcement in Malaysia and across tiger-range states needs to be stepped up as tiger (numbers) have declined so sharply in the last few years,”

Shepherd added.

“We are not going to be able to save tigers unless enforcement and deterrents are in place.”

Tiger parts are used in traditional medicine across the region. Last month, wildlife authorities rescued a Malayan tiger from a snare set up by poachers near the country’s jungle border with Thailand. The animal died from its wounds shortly after.

Source: Google.com

The 12th of November is a significant date on the calendars of nature lovers and environmentalists alike as it marks Orange for Orang-utan Day. Established by the Orang-utan foundation more than a decade ago the day aims to increase awareness about the plight facing orang-utans and their rainforest habitat through a series of global events and fundraising activities, including wearing everything and anything orange.

Each year, the funds raised by Orange for Orang-utan day are devoted to a specific cause and this year the proceeds will go towards an Orang-utan Release Programme in Borneo. Such programmes are an essential element of rehabilitating and reintroducing these creatures to their natural home and maintaining the rainforest’s delicate ecosystem that will ensure not just their survival but also the survival of their fellow forest dwellers.*

For conservationists who want to make a more hands on contribution to the Orang-utan cause, gap year travel company Real Gap, offer a range of rehabilitation and volunteer projects that focus on preserving and maintaining these majestic animals. Ideal for travellers who are interested in jungle, mountain and beach exploration, hands on conservation activities or pioneering restoration and research, the projects combine intrepid travel with worthwhile volunteering.  

Explorers who wish to make sure the good work continues can get involved with various research and environmental conservation activities by taking part in the Malaysia Orang-Utan and Wildlife Experience. Volunteers can help with data collection focusing on wildlife population density amongst the Orang-utans and other animals, as well as assisting in habitat restoration and teaching the local community about environmental conservation.

For those who wish to focus entirely on caring for Orang-utans, Real Gap’s Malaysia Orang-Utan Experience is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to their preservation and welfare. Travellers can work closely with Orang-utans in a Malaysian zoo, explore the depths of Borneo’s jungles, help build trails with indigenous tribesmen, assist with wildlife monitoring and see rehabilitation in action at a nearby Orang-utan sanctuary.

Travellers looking for an enriching and cultural trip may find just what they are searching for with the Borneo Experience. A mixture of adventure and cultural immersion, the programme will see travellers trekking through mountains, scuba diving in pristine waters, camping in Borneo’s deepest jungles, helping with essential environmental project work in Sabah and working with local communities to improve local education and improving sustainable energy resources.

Environmental and Orang-utan enthusiasts who would like to find out more about Real Gap’s volunteer projects can find out more by visiting the company website  or call to speak to an expert gap year adviser on 01892 516164.  

* Information sourced from the Orang-utan foundation

Source: PRLog.org

Speaking at a Blue Ocean Strategy Conference here, Kim said Sabah’s rich natural resources and beauty were still unknown to the world.

“Sabah is home to the third largest rainforest in the world after the Amazon in South America and in Africa, but how beautiful Sabah is unknown to the world,”

he said, adding that applying the “Blue Ocean”strategy would go a long way towards making Sabah a prosperous state.

Jointly organised by the Yayasan Sabah Group and the University College Sedaya International Blue Ocean Strategy Centre in Kuala Lumpur and attended by some 500 political and business leaders, the conference was officiated by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

The “Blue Ocean” strategy is the systematic pursuit of new markets and new demand creation through the pursuit of higher value at lower cost.

Kim, the co-author of the Blue Ocean Strategy international bestseller and winner of numerous global awards, said with proper planning and development, Sabah could be better off than many world-renowned places such as Dubai.

“If Dubai, a desert with just goats, oil and gas, could prosper, Sabah can be much better with its rich natural resources,” he said, emphasising the importance of preserving and conserving natural resources.

Describing Sabah as a “god blessed land”, Kim said Sabah should not be comfortable selling what it has just because it is so naturally endowed and cautioned that what it has will disappear without proper planning.

“Rather than exploiting the natural resources God has given us, we need to conserve them and attract the world to us and make more income, raise the people’s standard of living and eradicate poverty.”

Musa, who is also Yayasan Sabah Board of Trustees chairman, said efforts to promote a knowledge-based society in Sabah were on-going and one way of learning new things was by inviting experts from various fields, such as Kim, to share and exchange ideas.

Source: Sabah Tourism

The government of eastern Sabah state signed an agreement with the World Wildlife Fund this week to replenish trees in a piece of forest territory totaling 2,390 acres (967 hectares) over the next five years, the WWF said in a statement. The area is nearly the size of 1,500 soccer fields.

The effort is part of the “Heart of Borneo” initiative, led by the WWF since 2007 to strengthen conservation planning among Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, the three countries that have territory on the island.

Environmentalists say Sabah’s orangutans, pygmy elephants, rhinoceroses, sun bears and other animals are at risk because their jungle habitats are increasingly taken over by loggers and plantations.

Earlier this month, Sabah authorities announced plans to bar companies from planting palm oil and other crops near rivers to preserve the natural habitat.

A French-based conservation group, Hutan, recently estimated that fewer than 11,000 orangutans remain in Sabah. Up to eight times that number existed 15 years ago.

Source: San Antonio Express

” I think eco-tourism has a great future here. In fact, it can emerge as a major industry in a few years. The future for eco-tourism in the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rainforest is very promising.

” Eco-Tourism prospects may probably double in the next 12 years,” says Robert William Carlson, Chief Administrator of Costa Rica’s ” Paseo de Stella Tourism Complex”.

He said Malaysia has tremendous opportunity to capitalise on the rapidly-growing eco-tourism industry, especially in the north.

“This is what we have been talking about here in the northern corridor.

“It’s a very interesting and exciting area ecologically. it is endowed blessed with very high bio-diversity with abundant charismatic mega flora and fauna such as tigers, elephants, tapiers and very unique bird species like hornbills.

“It’s the only place in the world that has 10 species of hornbills. The blend of the natural greenery scenic landscape of the area plus the diversity are ingredients to develop a healthy eco-tourism industry in that zone,” Carlson said.

He is among two international experts on rainforest conservation who shared their experiences in conservation and sustainable management programmes at the conference themed ” Towards an Integrated Master Plan For Sustainable Management of the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rainforest” held here recently.

The two-day conference from Oct 21 opened by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, serves as a platform to develop an integrated master plan for the country’s priceless natural treasure.

The conference was hosted by the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) in partnership with the Pulau Banding Foundation in an effort to expedite the drawing up of the master plan for the tropical rainforest.

In comparison to Costa Rica, Carlson said Malaysia has better prospects as it has more “virgin” and untouched parks

Costa Rica has a good park system but it has cleared more forests than Malaysia, he said, adding that only 25 to 30 per cent of the area in Costa Rica is still under forest cover while the rest has been cleared for development.

” However, logging has stopped because of eco-tourism. This a good thing that has happened in Costa Rica,” he said.

” Forest destruction has stopped due to higher revenue from eco-tourism which is a clean industry. If you log your forests, you get income right away but in the long run you are scuttling your revenue.

” Once that’s gone, you don’t make any more money. Through eco-tourism, the forests remain. Every year you make money and this is much better. It’s a cleaner and a long-term industry,” he said.

Asked whether he would share his experience in the master plan formulation for the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rainforest, Carlson said: ” I give a talk here and everyone is very keen on what happened in Costa Rica.

” I think they understand the opportunities and realise that eco-tourism is different from mass tourism. Mass Tourism needs a different approach altogether.

“You have to protect natural resources more, you can’t allow the kind of development that happens in mass tourism because the people who come here want to see nature more than going to the beach and swim,” he said.

He said there are a different kind of people in eco-tourism.

” It’s easier to handle them as they don’t demand as much. They don’t need a sauna or a swimming pool. They want to walk in the woods and see elephants or be in the natural environment to enjoy the diverse flora and fauna,” he said.

On his experience in the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rainforest during a pre-conference tour, Carlson said: “I wish I could spend more time there to have a chance to see more animals like hornbills and flying bats.”

Carlson said he and his teammates, who were cruising on a motorboat along the Banding lake, saw a five-year-old bull elephant bathing in the water.

On the integrated master plan, he said it was to draw up plans and strategies to protect the “sensitive and precious” rainforest and resources more than anything else and how to utilise the area in a productive manner.

” A lot of people are weary, including myself, as I’ve been engaged in forest conservation work for quite a number of years.”

“With the Temenggor Park logged sustainably, both the Temenggor and Belum parks will not be adequate to provide protection to all the wildlife in the rainforest.

He said tourists want to see bigger animals like elephants roaming about in their natural habitat.

For birds like hornbills, they tend to migrate from one place to another

” You need a larger area. If the two parks can be consolidated, it will be a much bigger area covering some 300,000 hectares,” he said.

” This will provide sufficient space for the animals to move around freely and to survive. This is very important.

” So, the best way is eco-tourism as you can have the industry in the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rainforest so as not to disturb the abundant flora and fauna,” added Carlson.

Source: Bernama

The “Scout For Nature” campaign collected signatures with the help of schools throughout the country as part of their campaign in support of the WWF-Malaysia campaign.

According to the statement by WWF-Malaysia Senior Director of Support Operations Sudeep Mohandas, the campaign will lend weight to efforts aimed at improving turtle protection legislation in Malaysia.

He said that the project brought rover scouts from all over Malaysia who loved nature and wildlife to promote integration and togetherness through conservation.

Source: Bernama