KUANTAN: Pahang and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed an agreement to establish a strategic collaboration to protect the critically endangered Malayan Tiger.
Crown Prince of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah said that the project would be implemented at the Al-Sultan Abdullah Royal Tiger Reserve, a 1,340sq km tiger sanctuary adjacent to Taman Negara, Pahang.
He said the RM99.8mil project, funded by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund will focus on the conservation of the tiger species, natural habitat restoration and local community development.
"One of the key priorities of this project is addressing major threats such as poaching and habitat destruction, thereby combating the decline of the Malayan Tiger population which is on the brink of extinction.
"This project symbolises our commitment to protecting nature's heritage for future generations. Through unity and collective efforts, we will be able to restore habitats and ensure the survival of this species in its natural habitat," he said in a statement shared on the Pahang Royal Family's Facebook page on Thursday (Jan 16).
Tengku Hassanal made the remarks after gracing the strategic partnership signing ceremony between Pahang and the UAE, which was also attended by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the UAE on Tuesday.
The agreement was signed by Enggang Holding chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Aiman Putra Tengku Kamal Bahrin and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) president Razan Al-Mubarak.
Tengku Hassanal said that the collaboration also reflected Malaysia's and the UAE's deep concern for environmental sustainability, marking a new chapter in global efforts to protect endangered wildlife. – Bernama