JOHOR BUDGET 2026: RM225,000 ALLOCATED FOR TIGER CONSERVATION, FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- The State Government intends to designate the Endau-Rompin National Park in Mersing as an official tiger protection zone through the international Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS) certification.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the initiative was crucial as a measure to conserve the species following the poaching case involving a female striped tiger that occurred in Mersing last September.

He said the initiative was also to ensure that the tiger population continues to be preserved and to raise public awareness on nature conservation.

“This is one of the specific initiatives for the Johor National Park to further strengthen wildlife protection efforts and provide an opportunity for the state government to encourage the community to work together to protect the environment.

“We are working to obtain CA|TS certification so that our Endau-Rompin National Park can be recognised as a tiger wildlife protection area. This allocation (in the Budget 2026) is our effort towards that, thus strengthening the protection of big cats in the area," he said after the Johor 2026 Budget presentation in Kota Iskandar here today.

Earlier in the presentation of the Johor Budget 2026, Johor menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced an allocation of RM225,000 for the management of tiger habitats in the Johor Endau-Rompin National Park.

Established in 1993, the Johor Endau-Rompin National Park, located in Southeast Johor and covering an area of ​​48,905 hectares, is the largest protected area in southern Peninsular Malaysia and the habitat of various wildlife including the Malayan tiger, Malayan tapir and Asian elephant.

-- BERNAMA