In late July, enforcement agencies in the Hulu Perak district successfully demonstrated how teamwork can overcome the challenges of fighting wily and well-organised criminals who have long plundered Malaysia’s forests.   

In their maiden operation, six member agencies of a newly created anti-poaching taskforce raided a few premises at a jetty in Pulau Banding Perak, Jeti Mohd Shah Resort, and seized two tonnes of agarwood (gaharu) and 31 mahseer fish (Ikan Kelah); both high on poachers’ wanted list.

This has been one of the biggest seizures of wildlife coming out of the Belum-Temengor forests thanks to the joint efforts of the Anti-Smuggling Unit, the Royal Malaysian Police, the Perak State Parks Corporation, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the Fisheries Department and the Perak State Forestry Department.

Traffic Southeast Asia as well as WWF-Malaysia would like to congratulate the multi-agency taskforce on their significant seizure last Thursday, and highlight this as an example of an effective approach to tackling a complex problem.

Individually, these agencies lack the funds and the manpower to mount the kind of operations necessary to stay a step ahead of poachers and wildlife traffickers. Also, traditionally, these agencies have focused on issues that relate directly to their own departments. They work in the same area but separately; each agency stretching its meagre resources across the same vast landscape where they carry out their enforcement work.

The taskforce taking shape under the direction of the Gerik District Security Council, headed by the Hulu Perak District Officer Abdul Karim Osman, is already helping to change this scenario.

Bringing state and federal agencies together, marshalling resources, sharing information and empowering all agencies to act whatever the nature of the crime might be, is exactly what needs to done to combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

The two tonnes of agarwood seized in Pulau Banding is just a symptom of a widespread poaching epidemic. From our research and past enforcement action, we know that agarwood is among the main reasons why many poachers are drawn to our forests. While searching for this fragrant resin, they will poach any other wildlife that comes their way.

Traffic Southeast Asia and WWF-Malaysia would like to thank all the agencies involved for responding to our call for a tougher and more coordinated approach to the high level of poaching and wildlife trafficking that we have observed while working in the area over the past two years.

We would like to see this model taskforce replicated in other poaching hotspots around the country and we hope to see such exemplary efforts receive continued financial and political support.

The writers are executive director/CEO, WWF-Malaysia and regional director, Traffic Southeast Asia respectively.