Sabah unites for critically endangered Banteng
LAHAD DATU (Aug 10): The 2025 Banteng Day Celebration took place on Saturday in Tungku, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders — including government agencies, local communities, conservation partners, and sponsors — in a united effort to protect the critically endangered Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus lowi).
The event marked a significant milestone in Sabah's conservation journey, combining awareness, education and community engagement to highlight the importance of safeguarding this unique species.
In his opening address, Sabah Wildlife Department director Mohd Soffian Bin Abu Bakar expressed appreciation to all parties involved, especially WWF-Malaysia, the Lahad Datu and Tungku District Offices, and the many contributors who ensured the success of the celebration.
He also extended heartfelt thanks to the event's supporters — local businesses, volunteers and sponsors — whose generosity and commitment made Banteng Day celebration a meaningful success.
'The banteng is a lesser known but ecologically vital species, and raising public awareness about its conservation is crucial,' he said. 'Events like this also help strengthen ties between agencies and communities through meaningful, interactive engagement.'
The celebration featured Banteng Cup 2025, a community sports initiative that included football, volleyball, and tug-of-war competitions. Educational exhibitions and conservation briefings added further value to the event, encouraging citizens to act as the 'eyes and ears' of the government in combating wildlife crimes.
The competitions saw enthusiastic participation from local teams, with strong displays of teamwork and community spirit. These friendly contests not only celebrated local talent but also reinforced the importance of unity in conservation efforts.
A key moment of the event was the launch of two important conservation documents. The Mid-Term Review of the Sabah Banteng Conservation Action Plan offers updated guidance to enhance conservation strategies and address emerging threats to the species.
Meanwhile, the 'Research and Monitoring Manual for Bornean Banteng: Identification, Age Classification and Profiling Methods' provides essential tools for field monitoring and species profiling, supporting more effective data collection and analysis in the wild.
The director also announced an upcoming Wildlife Expedition focused on the banteng, scheduled for November 2025 at Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
Jointly organised by the Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department and WWF-Malaysia, the expedition aims to strengthen scientific data and conservation strategies for the species in its natural habitat.
Tabin is the last stronghold for the eastern subpopulation of banteng where only about 50 individuals remain. However, current data suggests that the actual number may be even lower.
The choice of Tabin Wildlife Reserve as the focal point for banteng conservation is no coincidence. As the last stronghold for the eastern subpopulation of Bornean banteng, Tabin plays a critical role in the species' survival. WWF-Malaysia, in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department and other partners, has been actively working in this landscape to monitor banteng populations, restore degraded habitats, and reduce threats through community outreach and anti-poaching efforts. These initiatives are vital in addressing local challenges such as habitat fragmentation, illegal hunting, and the use of snares — all of which pose serious risks to the banteng's future.
Grounding the celebration in Tabin reinforces the urgency and relevance of these conservation actions.
'The Bornean banteng is a symbol of Sabah's rich biodiversity, and its protection requires strong collaboration between government, communities, and conservation partners,' said Dr Robecca Jumin, Head of Conservation for WWF-Malaysia (Sabah).
'We are proud to support this initiative and remain committed to working alongside the Sabah Wildlife Department and other stakeholders to ensure the banteng's survival for generations to come.'
Delivering a speech on behalf of Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew, Deputy Permanent Secretary Mary Malangking underscored the urgency of protecting the estimated 325 remaining bantengs in Sabah, citing illegal hunting and snares as major threats.
The minister reaffirmed the State Government's commitment through initiatives such as habitat restoration, population monitoring, and enforcement operations.
Sabah's participation in the Global Wildlife Program Malaysia was also announced. Led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with USD 1.5 million from 2025 to 2028, the project focuses on conserving the banteng and its habitat in the Greater Maliau Basin. It will include regular population monitoring, enhanced patrol and remote sensing capabilities, and community-based conservation and sustainable livelihood programmes in the Greater Maliau Basin–Sapulut area.
The ministry also expressed its intention to nominate Banteng Day to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for international recognition, with this year's celebration laying the groundwork for that effort.
Sabah Wildlife Department and WWF-Malaysia call on all stakeholders to continue working together to protect the banteng, a unique treasure of Sabah, and to ensure the sustainability of its biodiversity for future generations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Taman Sri Sinar's 98 Happy Restaurant is a treasure trove for Chinese pan fried meat pies and hard to find ‘kai choy fan'
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — It's not often you get a double strike at one place when you're searching for great eats. What started out as just a place for xian bing or pan fried meat pies and handmade noodles, to my surprise also had braised rice using mustard greens, taro and long beans. Not a lot of places around the city actually do this braised rice, as it's more of a champion of the home kitchen when one needs a quick one-meal dish. Xian bing is from a one-month plus stall fronted by a Mainland China couple who make most things from scratch. Known as Pork Crackers (RM5 per piece) on the menu, it's a skinny version compared to its plump cousins in China. The dough is hand kneaded and filled with a layer of minced pork combined with chopped spring onions and seasonings. The meat pies are fashioned from hand knead dough and slowly pan fried in oil till it's golden crunchy on both sides. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi That same pork filling is also used in their handmade dumplings but with a different result, due to how it's handled. In the dumplings (10 pieces for RM12), the filling is shaped firmly, making it lose out on the juiciness whereas the meat pie uses a thin layer of the filling that gives it much flavour, making those pork crackers highly sought after. Much time is required for the crackers to crisp up in the hot oil, hence they prep a few pieces ahead. For a crispier bite, ask for it to be heated up. China Pork Ribs Ramen's star of the bowl is the slippery hand pulled noodles. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi With the China Pork Ribs Ramen (RM14) and the Braised Beef Noodles with Pickled Mustard Greens (RM14), it's the smoothness of the hand pulled noodles that will make you want to dive right into your bowls. Both bowls have lighter broths complementing the noodles, while the ribs and beef probably needed more time or perhaps fat for a more succulent bite. For a stronger flavour, the Braised Beef Noodles with Pickled Mustard Greens will have you drinking the soup with the noodles. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi Perhaps the Yibin Burning Noodles (RM10) is a punchier choice for that hearty wheat noodles, which is mixed with toasted sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, pickled mustard greens, minced pork and chilli oil. While the mustard greens are mild, the spicy punch from the chilli oil will see you eating every strand of those slippery noodles. Punchier Yibin Burning Noodles highlights dry noodles given a boost of chilies. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi For the braised rice, what fascinated me was this row of rice cookers at this stall operated by the friendly Madam Lee who also serves ais kacang and tong sui. . Inside the steaming hot rice cookers, there's kai choy fan with mustard greens, yam rice and long bean rice, with each variant costing RM6 each. Every morning from 6am, she'll stir fry the rice with the aromatics and cook it with dried prawns and pork shoulder meat, a cut she prefers for more flavour. Using different items like the mustard green, taro and long beans, the braised rice ends up with varying flavours. Kai Choy Fan shows a lot of heart with its mustard greens, dried prawns and pork cooked rice. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi With the slightly bitter mustard greens, it gives a freshness to the dark brown grains, making you wish for a second or perhaps even a third bowl. For the yam rice, it comes with a generous portion of taro cut in cubes, which could be fluffier but here it retains a nice bite with the fragrant rice. At the restaurant, Yam Rice (left) is served with chopped chillies and soy sauce where you get a generous amount. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi With the long bean rice, it's not often found outside homes as the long beans take a soft, almost mushy texture where the strong bean flavour is infused into the rice. It's the ideal one dish meal, especially for a takeaway as the rice tastes even better when the ingredients infuse in it longer. One drawback though is the size of the rice grains tend to be tiny, leaving you wishing you had fluffier rice. Look for the stall in front (left) at the corner restaurant (right) in the Taman Sri Sinar neighbourhood. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi 98 Happy Restaurant 10 & 12, Jalan 8/38A, Taman Sri Sinar, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 8am to 8.30pm (Chinese food stall), 8am to 2pm or earlier if sold out (Braised rice stall). Closed every second Monday of the month (The next date is August 18) * This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal. * Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Amp up efforts to protect Sabah's critically endangered banteng, says Liew
KOTA KINABALU: More efforts must be taken to protect Sabah's critically endangered banteng (wild buffalo) with illegal hunting and snare traps continuing to be major threats. The state Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew said though collaborative efforts were being made to protect the estimated 325 remaining bantengs, the threat remains. 'We must continue to work harder together to protect the bantengs,' she said at Sabah's first Banteng Day Celebration in Tungku Lahad Datu. The ministry's Deputy Permanent Secretary Mary Malangking delivered her speech in the Aug 9 event. During her speech, Liew announced Sabah's participation in the Global Wildlife Program Malaysia and reaffirmed the state government's commitment through initiatives such as habitat restoration, population monitoring, and enforcement operations. Led by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with USD$1.5mil (RM6.34mil) from 2025 to 2028, the project focuses on conserving the banteng and its habitat in the Greater Maliau Basin. It will include regular population monitoring, enhanced patrol and remote sensing capabilities, and community-based conservation and sustainable livelihood programmes in the Greater Maliau Basin–Sapulut area. The Ministry also expressed its intention to nominate Banteng Day to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for international recognition, with this year's celebration laying the groundwork for that effort. Sabah Wildlife Department Director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said the banteng is a lesser known but ecologically vital species, and raising public awareness about its conservation was crucial. He expressed appreciation to all parties involved, especially WWF-Malaysia, the Lahad Datu and Tungku District Offices, and the many contributors who ensured the success of the celebration. Head of Conservation for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia (Sabah) Dr Robecca Jumin said the Bornean banteng is a symbol of Sabah's rich biodiversity, and its protection requires strong collaboration between government, communities, and conservation partners. During the event, a wide range of stakeholders including government agencies, local communities, conservation partners, and sponsors, were brought together in a united effort to protect the critically endangered Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus lowi). A key moment of the event was the launch of two important conservation documents - the Mid-Term Review of the Sabah Banteng Conservation Action Plan and a research and monitoring manual titled 'Identification, Age Classification and Profiling Methods'. The mid-term review offers updated guidance to enhance conservation strategies and address emerging threats to the species while the manual provides essential tools for field monitoring and species profiling, supporting more effective data collection and analysis in the wild.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Malaysia steps up efforts to reduce roadkill, protect wildlife
KUALA LUMPUR: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry is intensifying efforts to address the alarming rise in wildlife roadkill incidents, with more than 2,300 cases recorded nationwide between 2020 and 2024. The East-West Highway linking Gerik, Perak, and Jeli, Kelantan, has been identified as one of the deadliest stretches for wildlife. 'Protecting both human and wildlife safety on our roads is a shared responsibility. We must act now with practical, whole-of-society solutions to reduce roadkill and improve road safety,' the ministry said in a statement Tuesday (Aug 12) "The Ministry on July 17 through the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and WWF-Malaysia, convened a High-Level Roundtable to identify urgent infrastructure measures for safer roads along the East-West Highway. "The session gathered 60 stakeholders from key ministries, state governments, NGOs, the private sector, highway concessionaires, and the Selangor and Federal Territory Engineering & Motor Vehicle Parts Traders Association (EMPTA)" it said. The Ministry said short-term measures proposed include strengthening legislation, installing eco-friendly signboards, raising driver awareness, and encouraging responsible road behaviour. "Medium and long-term solutions involve habitat enrichment, improving forest connectivity, and preserving existing wildlife crossings. The ministry said these measures are being reinforced in conjunction with World Elephant Day (WED), celebrated annually on Aug 12, in line with the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan (NECAP 2.0). As part of WED 2025, WWF-Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Agreement with EMPTA to promote road safety and reduce wildlife roadkill, involving transport companies, logistics providers, and other stakeholders in encouraging safe driving through ecological zones. 'World Elephant Day 2025 is an opportunity to strengthen public awareness of wildlife conservation, including elephants, and rally multi-stakeholder support to safeguard them for present and future generations,' added the ministry.
