Malaysian Nature Then and Now

Before the independence of Malaya in 1957, Malaya have many beautiful natural wonders all over the country, many of them has been reserved as protected forests, state park, and national park. These state park and national park have seen many changes since Malaya reached its independence. Among the most well known of all the national park is Kuala Tahan State park.

Kuala Tahan National Park is indeed one the oldest rainforests in the entire world, estimated at 130 million years old. The abundance and diversity of nature is phenomenal in Taman Negara, one of the world's most complex and rich ecosystems. It was established at the Titiwangsa Mountains, Malaysia, in 1938/1939 as Gunung Tahan Game Reserve. Then declared as King George V National Park in 1938 by the Sultans of 3 states Pahang, Trengganu and Kelantan. Taman Negara Pahang is the largest at 2,477 km², followed by Taman Negara Kelantan at 1,043 km² and Taman Negara Terengganu at 853 km².The park has been developed into a famous ecotourism destination in Malaysia. There are several geological and biological attractions in the park. Gunung Tahan is the highest point of the Malay Peninsula; climbers can use Kuala Tahan or Merapoh as their departure point. Taman Negara is the home of some rare mammals, such as the Malayan Tiger, Crab-eating macaque, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Great Argus, Red Junglefowl, Malayan Gaur and Asian elephant. Among the birdlife, the rare Malayan Peacock-Pheasant is still found here in some numbers. Tahan River has been preserved to protect the Malaysian mahseer (ikan kelah in Malay), a type of game fish.

Apart from government agencies that protect Malaysians natural heritage, nature has many more allies that help to fight for their existence in this world. Among them is then non-government, non-profit organization known as Malaysian nature society. It was first established, as the Malayan Nature Society, with the launch of the Malayan Nature Journal, in 1940. Initially primarily as a scientific organisation, today MNS is involved in a wide range of environmental activities and campaigns. In 2008 MNS was awarded the inaugural Merdeka Award for the environment, primarily for its efforts in campaigning for the protection of the Belum-Temengor forests of Malaysia. MNS is a voluntary, membership-based organisation with approximately 3800 members.

There are many changes that we can see in Malaysian natural environment over the past 55 years of merdeka. Some are positive and some are negative changes. One fact remains is that we cannot avoid these changes, but we can try to make it better for the people as well as the wildlife of Malaysia.

Here is a video of the wonders of Malaysia for readers to view.

Reference:

www.taman-negara.com/ 

www.tamannegara.org/

www.mns.my/

national and world heritage

Malaysia over the past years have acquired a few natural environment to become national heritage. Apart from that, UNESCO also have recognized two of Malaysia's natural wonders as world heritage.

Malaysia now has five World Heritage Sites recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (Unesco) World Heritage List, the latest being the Archaelogical Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (AHLV) in Perak.The others are the historic cities of Melaka and George Town along the Straits of Melaka, Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak and Kinabalu Park in Sabah.

The Caverns of Gunung Mulu

After the independence of Malaya from the British empire, two of Malaysia's natural environment has become a world heritage recognized by the United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). One of them is Gunung Mulu National Park located in Sarawak.Gunung Mulu encompasses caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The park is famous for its caves and the expeditions that have been mounted to explore them and their surrounding rainforest, most notably theRoyal Geographical Society Expedition of 1977–1978, which saw over 100 scientists in the field for 15 months. This initiated a series of over 20 expeditions now drawn together as the Mulu Caves Project.  

Another world heritage site in Malaysia is Gunung Kinabalu State park. situated in the State Sabah the land beneath the wind, it is the summit of Southeast-Asia the mighty Kinabalu mountain.Kinabalu Park was gazetted as the first State Park in Sabah in 1964 and declared Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2000 for its outstanding biological attributes. A sprawling 75, 400 hectares, this melting pot of natural wonders is larger than Singapore.

Mighty Kinabalu Mountain 

Reference: www.sabahtourism.com/sabah-malaysian.../en/.../124-kinabalu-park/

                    http://www.mulupark.com/

Endangered Malaysian Nature

Some of Malaysian majestic plants and animal that was once the pride of the Malay culture has become endangered since the withdrawal of the British empire from Malaya.But on the bright side, some of the rare flora and fauna of Malaya has seen recovery in population due the the independence of Malaysia.

Among the unfortunate species of flora and fauna that has been declare as endangered in the majestic Malayan Tiger. once found through out the Malayan peninsular and Borneo including Sabah and Sarawak, the Malayan Tiger was declared endangered in 1969 which is 12 years after the independence of Malaya. over the past century which is since the British colonial era, the tiger population has decrease by up to 95% and now the tiger is listed in the IUCN red list 2008 as endangered.other animals also didn't  fare well. The Sumatran Rhino, Malayan Tapir, Asian Arowana as well as the mighty Asian elephant also have been declared endangered after Malaysia reached independence.

reference:

  http://www.wwf.org.my/about_wwf/what_we_do/species_main/tiger/

  http://greenanswers.com/q/196949/animals-wildlife/endangered-threatened/what-year-did-we-list-tiger-   endangered-species

    

Malaysian Flora And Fauna

Since before the colonial, Malaysia or as it was formerly known as Malaya, has always been home to many fascinating and exotic flora and fauna. Harboring one of the world’s oldest rainforest believing to be 130million years old, even today there are many things we do not know about the natural wonders of Malaysia. Malaysia have one of the most diverse ecosystem in the world. Approximately 210 species of mammal, 620 bird species, 250 reptile species, and 150 frog species and 614 species of freshwater fish as well as over 15000 species of flowering plant has been classified before and after the independence of Malaysia.

Rafflesia Azlanii Named after the sultan of Perak

Although Malaysia has fascinating nature, many changes have occurred throughout the years since Merdeka. New species of flora and fauna has been identify and classify by science and some species are threatened and are facing extinction and even gone extinct. Independence has brought salvation as well as destruction to the flora and fauna of Malaysia. New laws have been enforced to protect wildlife and the forest but at the same time, the growing population and development ravaged the natural habitat of flora and fauna. Animals such as the Black Shrew, Sumatran Rhino, Malayan Tapir, Mouse Deer and Orangutans are facing threat of extinction mostly due to deforestation, habitat loss and poaching. On the other hand, Merdaka has also brought some species back from the brink of extinction. One of these successful stories is the Green sea turtle which has seen a rise in population numbers.

Orphan tiger cub and Orangutan in rehabilitation center

As a proud Malaysian, we need to take account of the natural wonders this great nation have and we must play our part in maintaining and conserving the natural jewels that is a part of Malaysia.

Refference:

http://www.wonderfulmalaysia.com/malaysia-flora-and-fauna.htm

http://ecomalaysia.org/articles/malaysian-freshwater-fish.html

http://www.bbec.sabah.gov.my/Background2.htm

http://royalbelum.my/gallery/

http://socyberty.com/activism/top-five-endangered-animals-in-malaysia/

http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn100/mtn100p43.shtml

Malaysian natural heritage

since the independence of Malaya in 1957 and the birth of Malaysian in 1963, a lot have change. The the growing economy and the development of major city as well as rural environment has brought this nation into the world stage. Even nature cannot escape the changes that Independence bring. 

since our independence, many natural wonders of Malaysia has become a world heritage. among them are Gunung Mulu National Park and Kinabalu State park. for millennia, the nomadic tribes of Sabah and Sarawak have lived in this parks and seen many development from the British and Japanese occupation to the government of Malaysia. independence has open new doors for people of Malaysia as well as foreigner  to reach the summit of the mighty Kinabalu mountain as well as the deepest depth of caves at Gunung Mulu. since then these parks has been declared a world haritage by UNESCO.  

references : http://www.mulupark.com/htm/about_gunung_mulu/index.htm

                  http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/my