This is what Tiger Trail founder Chris Slappendel had to say regarding Malaysia’s conservation efforts to save the Malayan Tiger.

In an interview with FMT, Netherlands-based Slappendel said in 2009, the National Tiger Action Plan (NTCAP) was hatched with the goal of doubling the tiger population in Malaysia, which at the time stood at 500.

Seven years later, there are only 250 to 340 of the majestic creatures in Malaysian forests.

Slappendel has journeyed across 24 countries, which formerly had tiger populations, speaking to hundreds of journalists, experts, conservationists and officials in the process.

He put Malaysia’s problem down to a lack of commitment.

He said the government, like many others around the world, prioritised profitable industries at the expense of the environment, in reference to Malaysia’s oil palm industry.

He said the opening up of numerous oil palm plantations had destroyed the habitats of the tigers, but the companies which made billions in profit from the industry, hardly contributed to their conservation.

Slappendel claimed that based on his feedback from stakeholders in Malaysia, rampant corruption had also affected efforts to save tigers.

“The NGOs in Malaysia have lamented the lack of commitment, focus and allocation of resources from the government,” he said, in sharing about his time in Malaysia.

He said all that was needed to save tigers was a combination of leadership, coordination, communication, monitoring and money.

Above all, Slappendel said the government must honour the commitment it made in the NTCAP, explaining that many of the initiatives outlined in the plan had not been executed.

“The government should walk the talk, it should also be transparent and provide a monitoring platform so stakeholders can monitor the progress of the initiative.”

Tiger Trail aims to raise awareness over the issues and threats facing tigers, which stemmed from Slappendel’s journey across the 24 countries.