Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has proposed that the 13-point Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement on Tiger Conservation be the basis of action for the South-East Asia Tiger Recovery Action Plan (Strap) based on agreed priorities.

He said the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement, Strap and Resource Mobilization Strategy will provide Tiger Range Countries with a means to set realistic actionable targets in their bid to achieve tiger recovery goals.

Ismail Sabri also called on the Tiger Range Countries and partners to work together in the spirit of a ‘world family’ to save the animal as the loss of tigers knew no geographical, cultural and political boundaries.

He said the Financial Resource Mobilisation Assessment is to be further deliberated on by member countries as it would include financing plans for tiger conservation which South-East Asian countries may use when implementing tiger conservation efforts.

Ismail Sabri said as tiger conservation was costly to execute, it was crucial for resource mobilization and sustainable financial mechanisms to be put in place to ensure effective implementation.

He added that the federal government had introduced the Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Bio-diversity Conservation (EFT) to incentivise state governments to protect and expand tiger habitats, with a total sum of RM130 million having been disbursed to state governments since 2019.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE