RimbaWatch wants total halt to road works threatening wildlife habitats

Summary

• Environmental think tank Rimba Watch calls for a permanent stop-work order for roads cutting through critical wildlife habitats, citing EIAs approved for road projects in Terengganu, Pahang, and Negeri Sembilan.

• Group cautions that the roads would dissect protected forests, threatening endangered species and increasing human-wildlife conflict.

Environmental NGO RimbaWatch has urged the government to impose a stop-work order to permanently halt road projects which will cut through highly sensitive wildlife habitats.

In particular, the organisation highlighted the environmental impact assessments (EIA) approved by the Environment Department in recent years for two separate projects.

RimbaWatch said that in 2022, two EIAs were approved for road developments in Terengganu and Pahang, with the projects involving the construction of a 52km road which would cut through the Al-Sultan Abdullah Royal Tiger Reserve.

The area, it said in a statement today, has been identified as a core habitat for various wild cat species such as the critically endangered Malayan tiger, melanistic leopard, clouded leopard, marbled cat, golden cat, and leopard cat.

Pointing out that the area has been designated as a protected forest for some time now, it said the area also supports other threatened wildlife, including the Asian elephant and Malayan tapir.

In 2023, another EIA on the building of a new 15km road from Kampung Gagu to Ulu Beranang in Negeri Sembilan was approved, with the road dissecting the Titiwangsa Range while passing through the Gapau and Lenggeng permanent forest reserves.

RimbaWatch highlighted that human-animal conflicts have already materialised from the expansion of roads into these two areas, pointing out that in 2022, a tiger was spotted on a newly built road near Kampung Mat Daling.

Connectivity solutions

In April 2025, a black panther mauled a lorry driver who had briefly stopped his vehicle by the roadside in Bukit Tangga, on an existing road which also dissects the Gapau and Lenggeng forest reserves, it added.

“RimbaWatch maintains that there is no way to build highways through highly sensitive protected areas without causing deforestation, severely hindering wildlife connectivity, and exposing endangered species to danger through roadkill, human-wildlife conflict and poaching.

“We also question the effectiveness of constructing new highways through mountain ranges as a solution to connectivity issues,” the organisation said.

It also stressed that promoting car dependency is counterproductive as vehicle ownership is expensive, poses safety risks, is harmful to public health and exacerbates climate change.

“Instead, in the past, smaller towns such as Kuala Sepetang, Port Dickson and Kuala Pilah were connected via rail, and this can provide an effective template to promote greater connectivity through establishing a safe, fast and affordable rail network outside cities,” it added.

Yesterday, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told reporters that a total of 2,361 wild animals were reported to have been killed by vehicle collisions throughout the country since 2020.

The minister said Pahang was the state with the highest recorded roadkills with 765 animals, followed by Perak (478), Kelantan (224), Terengganu (201), and Negeri Sembilan (187).

More conflicts

A video of a baby elephant killed by a container lorry and an adult elephant believed to be its mother trying to move the vehicle to save the baby went viral recently on social media, prompting calls for better wildlife protection.

The incident occurred along the East-West Highway near the Gerik, Perak and Jeli, Kelantan border.

In a statement today, Nik Nazmi said the incident is not just a tragic accident, but also a stark reminder of the growing challenges in human-wildlife coexistence, especially as efforts are established to protect endangered species in increasingly fragmented landscapes.

“Between 2020 and 2024, Perhilitan (Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia) recorded 4,919 reports of human-elephant conflict, with estimated property damage amounting to RM39.4 million.

“In the past five years, eight elephants were killed in roadkill incidents across Peninsular Malaysia - including three this year alone,” the minister said.

He added that as part of ongoing mitigation efforts, Perhilitan has implemented several measures, including regular patrols and monitoring of over 100km of the East-West Highway, focusing on blind spots and winding stretches.

The department is also constructing three permanent electric elephant fencing systems, installing 19 elephant crossing signs along the highway and setting up street lights at 16 high-risk spots.

Noting that forest areas which serve as elephant habitats fall under state jurisdiction, Nik Nazmi said the government remains committed to leading a comprehensive policy response as long-term solutions require close cooperation between federal and state administrations.

“However, success depends on collective action from plantation owners, project implementers, local communities, and road users,” he added.

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