The mantra of ecotourism is take only photographs and leave only footprints. Due to far too frequent violations of that principle, I maintain the position that the term ecotourism in Malaysia has been perversely interpreted. While in other countries ecotourism means divulging oneself in nature without damaging it, on the contrary in Malaysia it means building a multimillion-ringgit resort on a remote island while damaging its prized coral reef, constructing a posh hotel in the middle of jungle complex while cutting down the trees and having a tiger park in the middle of the city with no history of tiger population.
When the Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng announced in the name of ecotourism a proposal to set up a 40-hectare tiger park on Penang Island, I found myself putting my face in my hands saying, “here we go again.”
Here we are with yet another politician with a brilliant idea, proving the point that brilliance — or lack of it — is no monopoly of any side.
I can only be thankful for whatever free speech and backbone to not succumb to blind partisanship we have left in this seemingly forsaken country. I am thankful because this is exactly one of those times when it is required of us to raise sensible objections to insensible ideas. And I will not waste that opportunity.
In light of other options, the tiger park is an insensible idea. George Town has already been granted the status of World Heritage by the UNESCO. As far as tourism is concerned, that is the unchallenged comparative advantage of Penang. Resources should be channeled to that aspect instead of into area of questionable potential.
If Penang really wants to promote ecotourism in the state, perhaps Penang should preserve and rehabilitate its degraded mangrove swamp. Prof. Gong Wooi Khoon of Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2003 estimated that Penang may lose its mangrove swamp by 2020. Do something about that instead of bringing mammals foreign to the local environment into Penang. Or cleanup those dirty rivers of Penang, like what the Selangor state government valiantly plans to do with its rivers.
More than being insensible, Mr. Lim really went on to stretch an already twisted green washing definition of ecotourism as applied in Malaysia. Whereas in the past in this country, at least the so-called ecotourism happened in natural settings albeit the destruction it brought, the Chief Minister seeks to artificially import tigers to entertain children like how a distasteful circus would present freaks to entertain the public while treating them inhumanely.
He dares call such gross pretension as ecotourism. It is an insult to one’s intelligence as well as to those who truly care for the environment. Such green washing is despicable.
The act of promoting ecotourism should not be so twisted and flawed as currently utilized with respect to the tiger park or in Malaysia generally. Ecotourism should be — as it was defined originally and used in developed countries with heightened sense of responsibility to the world we live in — about conserving and enhancing the environment while using it responsibly. That includes the protection of the habitat of various endangered species, like tigers.
The truth is that the tiger park is merely about conventional tourism. While perhaps the experience of the tiger park could be packaged as an educational experience to raise awareness, the tiger park does not help in conservation.
A proper ecotourism project revolving around tigers should be about large tiger sanctuary with tigers living in their natural habitat, not in some small enclosure in the middle of a developed island full of household cats that fight endlessly in the middle of the night.
Even the idea of a 40-hectare tiger park sounds exceedingly cruel to the tigers. How could such cruel move be part of ecotourism?
If any of us have not notice, tigers are large mammals. It needs large area to live in and to put them in small enclosure is similar to imprisoning any one of us in a cell.
For those unfamiliar with the unit hectare, 1 Ha is 0.01 km2. To put it into perspective, 40 Ha is only 0.40 km2, slightly smaller than Zoo Negara located in Ulu Klang, Selangor. Not to forget, facilities for both administrators and visitors would require erection. That would further reduce space for the large mammals. It is unclear if the tigers would live in cages but given the size of the park, that is likely the case.
I am not advocating for equal rights for animals but at least have a heart. Tigers are living beings and that much is for sure. Be humane and do not put these tigers in small enclosure. Please, and pretty please, Mr. Lim.
The only serious benefit that I could think of is potential the park might have in alleviating acute tigers overcrowding problem in Zoo Melaka, which is operated by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN). That particular zoological park is the place where PERHILITAN keeps all captured tigers due to tiger-human conflicts in Peninsular Malaysia.
If you want an emotional experience when it comes to tigers, then visit to Zoo Melaka. Ask the administrators to show you where they keep all the captured tigers and you will fast discover how sad the situation there is.
PERHILITAN of course is not to be blamed because they are operating the best they could with limited resources. They are, at least, trying to save the tigers from death sentences.
But is there a guarantee that the proposed tiger park in Penang would help Zoo Melaka address that problem? What guarantee there is that it would not end up like Zoo Melaka?
The best bet to the problem comes back to the establishment of tiger sanctuary in their natural habitat, not a small park. Before anybody gets any funny idea, that sanctuary should not be in Penang. It should be located within the large jungle complexes on the mainland, in Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor, capable of naturally sustaining tiger population.
Nevertheless, despite my opposition to the idea and multiple criticisms mounted against the DAP-led Penang state government by local and international influential environmental groups, the state government should be commended for its effort to solicit public opinion.
Yet, soliciting does not automatically mean listening and that much is clear from the dreadful process of Draft Kuala Lumpur 2020 City Plan. The meaningless solicitation process of the KL 2020 City Plan appeared merely a public relations act. The KL City Hall was roundly criticized because of that. The whole process, without any overemphasis, was a failure.
That mistake must be taken to heart: the Penang state government should not repeat the same mistake done in KL by unelected officials. Why?
The wrong move could quite possibly turn the small tiger park into DAP’s PGCC.
First published in The Malaysian Insider on March 23 2009.