By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Feb 8 — The Selangor government has implemented initiatives to preserve connectivity between wildlife habitats through two secondary linkages (SLs), designed to facilitate the movement of primates and other wildlife between forested areas, while mitigating the fragmentation of habitats caused by development.
State executive councillor for public health and environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin said these efforts are being carried out under the Central Forest Spine Ecological Network Master Plan 2022, which aims to preserve green corridors and ecological buffers to maintain connectivity between wildlife habitats.
The corridors are BSL1, which connects Raja Muda Forest Reserve, Bukit Tarek Forest Reserve, and Gading Forest Reserve, and BSL2, which links Sungai Lalang Forest Reserve and Hulu Langat Forest Reserve.
“These corridors play a crucial role in ensuring primates and other wildlife can move freely between forested areas, reducing habitat fragmentation caused by development,” she told Selangor Journal recently.
She said this in response to a question from a special report by Selangor Journal, over the state’s approach to ensure development in the state does not further impact primate populations.
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State executive councillor for public health and environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin speaks during the press conference after officiating the Sungai Kayu Ara drainage system upgrading project, at Kampung Chempaka in PJU 1, Petaling Jaya, on December 13, 2024. — Picture by AHMAD ZAKKI JILAN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Previously, Selangor Journal reported human-wildlife conflicts involving primates, in which Nadine Ruppert, associate professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s School of Biological Sciences, said deforestation for agriculture, logging, and urban development have reduced available habitats for these species.
She said habitat fragmentation has isolated primate populations, making it difficult for them to find food, mates, and shelter. This leads to inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity, which threatens their survival, especially in their vulnerable state.
Ruppert added that rapid urbanisation in Selangor is an example of human activities that have led to habitat fragmentation, forcing primates to venture to human settlements and resulting in negative encounters with people.
Elaborating, Jamaliah clarified that the Selangor government, through the Peninsular Malaysia Wildlife and National Parks Department, manages human-wildlife conflicts in the state via strategic measures, including by installing wildlife crossing signs at strategic locations to reduce wildlife-related road crashes, as well as conducting habitat enrichment programmes. This includes habitat restoration and replanting native trees to support wildlife.
“These efforts underscore Selangor’s commitment to balancing development with conservation, ensuring the long-term sustainability of its natural habitats while safeguarding primate populations,” she said.
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Image for illustration purposes only. — Picture via UNSPLASH/JAMES LO[/caption]
Additionally, she said Selangor aims to maintain at least 30 per cent of its land as a permanent forest reserve under its sustainability strategy. Currently, the permanent forest reserve covers 250,987.12ha, or 31.7 per cent, of the state.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, of the 26 primate species that call Malaysia home, 15 are endangered or critically endangered, eight are considered vulnerable, while three are near threatened.
In a previous report, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced that the Federal government is strengthening laws, conservation efforts, and partnerships with both domestic and international groups, including indigenous and local communities, to protect endangered primates.
Responding to Selangor Journal, he said one of the initiatives is to intensify conservation efforts, with Malaysia implementing the Global Wildlife Programme.
The project, funded with US$7.1 million (RM31.5 million) from the Global Environment Facility, began in 2023 and runs until 2028. It aims to build institutional capacity to combat wildlife crime and reduce poaching nationwide.
