Special Feature (3): Don't Let This Be the Last Year of the Tiger

The tiger is our national animal. Our heritage. But today only less than 500 of them remain in the wild. As Malaysians, we need to stand up and protect our heritage.
Speak to your children. Speak to your leaders. Everyone of us can make a difference.

For further information, please visit MYCAT (www.malayantiger.net), WWF Malaysia (www.wwf.org.my) and Department of Wildlife & National Parks (www.wildlife.gov.my)

每次说到老虎，总会想起中学时，参加学校到柔佛苏丹皇宫时所看到的老虎标本。那是当时某任苏丹的战利品，代表着那位苏丹的英明神武。苏丹已仙逝，化做尘土，反倒是战利品的皮毛却一直被保存下来。在那个年代，徒手或用简单的武器来战胜凶猛的野兽是需要智慧和勇气的。没有人会怜悯在血泊中挣扎求存的吃人大猫。不知道皇宫中的那只老虎是在活着或死后才被剥皮的。它被杀就只是为了表现出某人的厉害吗？由何时开始，在当年象征着王者之风的老虎，已被进化得更快的我们赶进穷巷，变成硕果谨存的动物。
记得在古装片里，什么山寨大王的坐椅每每都是一片虎皮。只要坐在虎皮上，你就好比是人群中的万兽之王，可以统撤群众。可怜这万兽之王，最后也敌不过枪弹，落得连子孙根都被人拿来当补品。
在各国都赶着搭上经济发展的列车时，我们都只想到只身的利益，变得市惠和自私。我们大量的砍伐树林，开发农地，建造牧场和住家。那么，从前住在森林里，包括老虎的动物，又得往哪儿去呢？
我自己并不特别喜爱老虎，只是觉得，每个生命都有活着的权利。如果不是非不得已，没有必要杀害任何生命吧！没有人的人生会因为有一颗虎牙而变得更尊贵。人性中的真善美才会让人的生命升华。
请大家高台贵手。



When i was in Secondary school, i joined the school trip and visited the Istana in Johor. I always remember the tiger sample that i saw. It was the belonging of one of the Sultans and it signified the courage and wisdom of the Sultan. The Sultan had passed away for years, giving His share to fertilise the earth, however, his works of bravery remains there. At those ages, it was not an easy tasks to hunt and kill a beast like this. Nobody would sympathised the loser tiger, that struggle in the pool of blood. The big cat, might even had it skins peel off before it breathed its last air. Its death was just to prove the capability of somebody. Since when, the tigers which are associated to the kings, have been drove into the dead angle by us human beings. There are not many of the tiger left now.
In the TV drama, sometimes we would see the leader of the bandits was sitting on the chair with tiger skins on top. People believed that, one will be the leader like the king of the jungle by seated on its skin. In the end, the poor King of the Jungle lost to the bullets, lost even its pennis to people who believed that, eating the tiger pennis will enhance the sexual ability of man.
Nowadays, most of the countries wanted to have hight GDP. Gradually, we all become selfish and care only about ourselves and look only at money. We clear the forest and made the land into agriculture used, animals farming or just to build house. Where can those animals, including tigers, that used to stay in the forest go?
I myself do not have special feelings to the tiger. I believed the old saying: Every lives have the rights to stay alive. Killing is not the way to move forward or to solve a problem. The teeth of the tiger will not make somebody's life to be better. Only the quality within ones could enhance someone's live.
Please let the tigers live.