KOTA KINABALU: Experts in Sabah are confident that Bukit Aman's plans to expand the scope of its Wildlife Crime Bureau (WCB) will provide a much-needed boost to the fight against poaching, smuggling and trafficking.
Dr Wong Siew Te, affectionately known as “Papa Bear” for his conservation efforts on the Bornean sun bear, said this expansion is good news and an essential step to fight wildlife crimes in Malaysia.
To be fair, he said, the country has had effective wildlife laws with the passing of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
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“However, having good laws is the first of four steps to safeguard our wildlife. The other three are law enforcement, prosecution, and heavy sentences on offenders," he said when contacted on Wednesday (July 5).
“I believe the WCB is needed for our wildlife conservation laws to effectively protect our precious and endangered species.
“WCB will play an important role in ensuring the survival of protected animals," he added.
Dr Milena Salgado Lynn said WCB would be a welcome addition to the Royal Malaysia Police.
“A centralised system, truly coordinating the efforts of agencies with jurisdiction to protect wildlife, should be beneficial to the country,” said the scientific advisor to local research outfit Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC).
“However, the mechanism for this coordination is unclear at the moment.
“If WCB operates as an investigation bureau, targeting organised criminal networks, it would be a massive improvement to current practices,” she added.
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Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Comm Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali had said he hoped the expansion of the bureau would occur within the year.
WCB's planned expansion included an increase in personnel from 50 to 75 and they would be tasked with protecting national treasures and heritage sites as well.
Salgado Lynn, the project coordinator for DGFC’s wildlife enforcement and forensic programme, suggested that the WCB structure included resources to focus on intelligence and crime analysis.
“This is what is not so clear yet. Whether the plan is there but hasn't been implemented, or if it is a matter of time (before) this aspect of wildlife protection (is implemented).
“Inter-agency cooperation will always be key to ensuring good coverage because wildlife crime has many facets, including the money laundering part,” she said.
Wong said the human population growth in Malaysia over the past few decades had severely impacted the survival of wildlife populations in the country.
He said forest-dependent species such as Malayan tigers, sun bears, tapirs, panthers and elephants, among others, have suffered from habitat loss.
This was due to logging, agriculture and land conservation, exacerbated by poaching for animal body parts, illegal wildlife trade, and illegal exotic pets.
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Many of these animals, he added, were also being forced out from the pristine forest habitat into farmlands and villages that result in human-wildlife conflicts – or end up being roadkill.
“Malaysia has lost its Javan and Sumatran rhinoceros populations over the past few decades.
“We cannot let other endangered wildlife species in Malaysia go extinct, and should do everything to stop further decline of our protected species.
“Bukit Aman’s WCB comes at a good time and I applaud the government for setting up this bureau, showing its commitment to protect our wildlife,” he added.
