29 July 2021
‘Score for Tigers’ Challenge Kicks off to a Roaring Start
Global Tiger Day 2021 calls for national solidarity to protect the iconic Malayan tiger
28 July 2021, Kuala Lumpur: The nationwide ‘Score For Tigers’ challenge kick off today with a virtual launch to mark the launch of Global Tiger Day. Organised by WWF-Malaysia in partnership with Maybank, the month-long challenge underscores the urgency for immediate action to address the decline of Malayan tiger numbers in the wild.
‘Score for Tigers’ is a social media challenge on the TikTok platform which calls for participants to symbolically play in defence for the Malayan tiger by attempting as many football juggles and share their results on all social media platforms. The top 11 submissions with the most likes will win an official ‘Score For Tigers’ jersey.
“We would like to see Malaysia’s football supporters turn into tiger supporters and together build a nationwide voice to create action and get the ball rolling,” said WWF-Malaysia Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Sophia Lim.
Local artistes and personalities participating in support of this challenge include Asyraf Nasir, Wen Suen, Theeban G, Calista, Jeremy Teo, Chef Anis Nabilah, Syiera Eyya and Christine Das. The virtual launch also features the ‘Score For Tigers’ anthem performed by popular Malaysian rapper Bunga and pop artist Kucaimars. The national football team, Harimau Malaya, is also lending its support to the challenge.
Wild tiger numbers are declining in all seven tiger range countries in Southeast Asia, not only Malaysia, and it is now a near certainty that these countries will have fewer than they did in 2010 - the year the goal was set to double the world’s wild tigers by 2022. Poaching, deforestation, forest fragmentation and habitat loss are threats which continue to accelerate this decline. If concerted action is not taken swiftly, the Malayan tiger will soon follow the path of extinction.
"Collaboration between the government, NGOs, corporate partners and local communities has already reduced poaching in Malaysia’s Belum-Temengor Forest Complex. We now need to scale this up across the country and match it with strong political will. The government has already approved a national tiger crisis action plan that will foster a whole-of-nation approach to avert the complete loss of tigers in the country,” said Lim.
“We must protect the Malayan tiger no matter the cost,” she emphasised.
Maybank echoed Lim’s sentiments, adding that companies can play a role in tiger conservation by being more sustainable and upholding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
Maybank Chief Sustainability Officer Shahril Azuar Jimin said, “We are at a critical moment where we could lose our tigers in the next few years. Hence, Maybank has partnered with WWF-Malaysia since 2016 as part of the collective efforts to protect this majestic animal. Conservation is an ongoing endeavour and if we remain steadfast, we will see the number of wild tigers increase. Through our M25 plan, under the sustainability charter, biodiversity is one of our key focus areas. And central to this is our commitment to the conservation of the Malayan tiger.”
With the Year of the Tiger around the corner, nationwide scale awareness and actionable steps implemented swiftly would be what is needed to turn the tide of extinction for the Malayan tiger.
The Score for Tigers challenge ends on 30 August. For more details, please visit wwf.org.my/scorefortigers
