MALAYSIA: Orangutans In Borneo's Jungles In Trouble

Orangutans in Borneo's jungles have been facing grim prospects. Relentless deforestation has been depriving them of their traditional habitats. All they can do in the face of encroaching development is to seek refuge in denser vegetation in the hope of staying out of sight and out of harm's way.

Unless the logging of high-value trees stops, however, the island's apes will have precious little forest left in which to seek escape.

This isn't mere conjecture. Hard science can now confirm this trend.

Two researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington D.C. in the US have published a paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, explaining that in Borneo's disturbed forests areas the critically endangered primates are migrating away from trees with low-density canopies in favor of denser foliage.

Deforestation, driven by logging and palm oil cultivation, has inflicted massive harm on the forests of Borneo.

To track the animals' movements, which they did for a year, the researchers relied on visual observations and high-resolution laser remote sensing, which helped them map the movement of orangutans through the canopies of disturbed forests on the island.

Findings provide crucial insights into the types of forest characteristics orangutans use in disturbed forests and are likely required for their continued survival in these fragmented landscapes, where most of the extant population occurs.

The researchers focused on the Lower Kinabatangan region in Sabah, a relatively unspoiled stretch of nature renowned as a biodiversity hotspot. Yet even here, after years of deforestation in certain areas, clear patterns emerged about the movements of local orangutans.

In several large patches local forests have been thinned out by loggers and palm oil cultivators. What the researchers found was that in fragmented and disturbed forests resident orangutans preferred to inhabit certain types of canopy: tall trees with strong branches.

A combination of field and airborne data on orangutans and their habitat was key to understanding how they move through and use disturbed forests in Borneo, said one of the researchers, Andrew Davies, of Carnegie's Department of Global Ecology.

Similar approaches will be needed to determine the minimum habitat requirements of other endangered species in human-modified landscapes.

Owing to their weight and size, orangutans need strong branches to move from tree to tree. Absent such branches, they need to descend to the ground and cross over that way, but this exposes them to predators and also makes for a tiresome way of moving about.

What this means is that orangutans need plenty of tall trees with dense canopy in close proximity to one another. Keeping such trees intact will be vital for orangutan conservation efforts.



Tourism Observer

MALAYSIA: Vietnamese Ivory Smuggler Arrested Carrying Ivory Worth US$70,000 At Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Smuggling of ivory into and out of Malaysia continues

However, Malaysian officials continue arresting wildlife sumugglers.

The latest such arrest has involved that of a Vietnamese national who was trying to take 36kg of partially processed elephant tusks out of the country via Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The tusks, which had been cut up, tied up into 10 packages and packed into two suitcases, would have been worth around RM300,000 (US$70,000) on the black market.

The Vietnamese smuggler had brought the African elephant tusks from Addis Ababa, using Malaysia as a stopover.

If convicted of trafficking, he is facing up to three years in jail and a hefty fine under Section 135 (1) (a) of the Customs Act 1967 for illegal importing prohibited goods into the country.

This latest case serves as yet another reminder that Malaysia continues to remain a hub for international ivory traffickers, several of whom are Vietnamese.

In March last year Malaysian customs officials intercepted two Vietnamese men who were found to have 101kg of ivory inside their luggage.

The same day officials discovered another haul of elephant tusks, amounting to 58 kilograms, in the bag of another Vietnamese passenger who had just flown in from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and was on his way to Hanoi.

But it's a two-way street. Just as illicit shipments of ivory are brought into Malaysia, so other shipments are taken elsewhere from Malaysia.

Only a couple of weeks ago customs officials in Hong Kong discovered 7,200kg of elephant tusks shipped in from Africa via Malaysia.

Valued at around US$9 million, it was the largest haul of contraband ivory seized in Hong Kong in three decades.

A string of recent seizures in Malaysia has put a spotlight on wildlife trafficking between Africa and Asia, explains the anti-wildlife trafficking watchdog TRAFFIC. It shows that illegal traders continue to use Malaysia when smuggling wildlife products into and through Asia, said the group's Acting Regional Director for Southeast Asia, Kanitha Krishnasamy.

It is important that African, Malaysian and Vietnamese authorities to work together to break the links in this cross-continental illegal wildlife trade.



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MALAYSIA: Postpone Tourism Tax To Next Year, Government Urged

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said this was because many local tour agents and hotels have already made and paid forward bookings for their packages for early next year.

“Give us time till early next year. Then we can implement the tourism tax,” he was quoted as saying at a Hari Raya gathering in Samarahan on Wednesday.

The tourism tax was originally scheduled to come into effect on July 1. However, it was postponed after opposition by tourism industry players as well as the Sarawak and Sabah state governments.

Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz said the implementation of the tourism tax had been postponed to Aug 1 as some systems were not yet in place.

The tourism tax will see local and international tourists having to pay a levy to operators of registered accommodation premises.

The tax per room per night for non-rated hotels will be RM2.50, while the tax for two-star hotels will be RM5; three-star, RM10; four-star, RM15; and five-star, RM20.

Malaysians will be exempted from paying the tourism tax when they stay in hotels rated three stars and below.

Abang Johari added that the collection from the tax must be fairly distributed to Sarawak.

This was in line with what Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had said in June.

Karim said then that the state government had no choice but to accept the implementation of the tourism tax as it had been passed in Parliament.

“We want our share from the tourism tax collection to go straight to the state government and not be channelled through other agencies or any other means,” he added.

Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) says Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz’s latest remarks about the tourism tax leave more questions than answers.

Yesterday, Nazri said the tourism tax was meant to plug the deficit in the ministry’s advertising spending budget due to the massive cut in the tourism promotion budget from RM200 million to RM110 million this year.

Nazri also said the depreciation of the ringgit had made promoting Malaysia overseas more expensive.

“Just two years ago, when the ringgit fell to its lowest value in 17 years, Nazri said the depreciation of the ringgit was good for tourism.

“Now he’s blaming the depreciation of the ringgit for the higher cost of promoting tourism overseas,” Warisan vice-president Junz Wong told FMT.

He was referring to Nazri’s controversial remark in 2015 that the depreciation of the ringgit benefitted tourism as it made Malaysia very affordable for foreigners.

“If the depreciation of the ringgit means the government has to pay more for tourism promotion overseas, maybe Nazri should lead the way and cut down on his trips overseas since these too become more costly with the ringgit’s depreciation,” Wong said.

He added it was also “strange” that despite Putrajaya hailing the GST as a “saviour” of the economy, raking in RM59.72 billion as of last November, the ministry still needed to introduce the tourism tax to make up for cuts in the ministry’s advertising budget.

“Nazri said that the ministry’s budget was reduced from RM200 million to RM110 million. That’s a deficit of RM90 million.

“Compared with the billions collected in GST, RM90 million is a small amount. Couldn’t Nazri have requested for more funds rather than impose a new tax? How have the billions in GST been used?”

Wong said he hoped Nazri wasn’t implying that the government didn’t have money as that would be very worrying.

The Likas assemblyman said Nazri should explain why the government needed to introduce a burdensome tax just to make up for RM90 million.

“Nazri said the tourism tax will bring in RM654.62 million if there is a 60% occupancy rate at the 11 million hotel rooms in the country.

“If the cut in the ministry’s advertising budget is only RM90 million, what in the world does it need over RM500 million extra for? How will this extra revenue be spent?”

Referring to Nazri’s previous comments about the tourism tax revenue being divided equally between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, Wong asked if this meant Sabah and Sarawak’s respective state tourism ministries will get to decide how their states are promoted.

“Since Sabah and Sarawak have their own tourism ministries, they should be given their share of the tourism tax as they would know best how to promote their states.”

Wong added that Nazri should also respond to a recent China Press report that the ministry allegedly expedited the implementation of the tourism tax in a bid to overcome a RM250 million deficit incurred by the Tourism Board.

Quoting sources, the Chinese daily reported that the Tourism Board had failed to properly plan its expenditures, especially when it came to promoting tourism in countries like China and Japan.

The shortfall in the board’s finances continued for the past two years, the report said.

Likening the board’s spending to “a running tap”, the newspaper reported the federal government was unwilling to cover the RM250 million bill.

“This is a very serious allegation and perhaps the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission should look into this. Alternatively, Nazri could make the Tourism Board’s accounts public for everyone to see,” Wong said.

Meanwhile, PKR’s Wong Chen said the budget cuts faced by the tourism ministry were a symptom of shrinking government revenues due to low oil prices, the sluggish economy and poor dividends from government-linked companies (GLCs).

“The problem is made worse by poor spending priority, corruption, mega projects and bad governance.”

He said although he understood that Nazri was trying to “shore up” his own ministry’s budget with the tourism tax, he could be setting a bad precedent for other ministries.

“What if more ministries decided to follow him and also raise their revenue by imposing some new tax? That would make the revenue stream of the federal government uncoordinated resulting in many unintended policy consequences.”

He added that the tourism tax would affect domestic tourism as well as burden the hotel industry as a whole.

The Kelana Jaya MP said if the government couldn’t raise revenues, it should root out corruption and cut down on “frivolous protocol spending”.

“Taxing the people more will only make things worse.”

The tourism tax was originally slated to come into effect on July 1 but was postponed due to opposition by tourism industry players as well as the Sarawak and Sabah state governments.

The tourism tax will see local and international tourists having to pay a levy to operators of registered accommodation premises.

The tax per room-night for non-rated hotels will be RM2.50, while the tax for two-star hotels will be RM5; three-star, RM10; four-star, RM15; and five-star, RM20.

It was also reported recently that Malaysians may be exempted from paying the tourism tax when they stay in hotels rated three-star and below.

Locals staying at hotels rated three stars and below might be exempted from the new tourism tax, says Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.

He said the government is still studying the details and will make an announcement soon.

“Certain criteria might be imposed, such as people staying in three-star hotels and below being exempted.

“These are among the things that we are studying and will announce later,” he told reporters after launching the global entrepreneurship competition in Subang near here today.

Asked about the method used to collect the new tourism tax, Irwan said it would be collected by the Customs Department, which is also the agency that enforces the GST.

Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Aziz recently said the new tax would be enforced as scheduled on July 1.

He said the gazette on the tourism tax was automatic and in accordance with the country’s procedures when approved by the Parliament.

The Padang Rengas MP added that the tax was applicable to all registered hotels and inns.

The tourism tax is fixed and charged on a per-room, per-night basis.

The tax is RM2.50 for non-rated hotels, RM5 for two-star hotels, RM10 for three-star, RM15 for four-star and RM20 for five-star.

When winding up the debate on the Tourism Tax Bill in the Dewan Rakyat on April 6, Nazri said the tax would be able to bring in an income of about RM654.62 million if there was a 60% occupancy rate at the over 11 million hotel rooms in the country.



Tourism Observer
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MALAYSIA: Mega Sale Carnival To Attract Chinese Luxury Shoppers

Affordable luxury shopping in an exotic destination is what Malaysia is betting on to attract affluent Chinese tourists to its shores during the summer travel season.

The ‘Malaysia Mega Sale – Luxury Shopping Experience Campaign’ is bringing tourism authorities and shopping attractions together to make a joint bid for Chinese big spenders’ wallets in the competitive summer season.

The campaign is the result of the Malaysian government’s efforts to promote Malaysia as a shopping haven for tourists looking for high-end luxury goods, an effort that has coincided with a rapid growth of Chinese tourists visiting the Southeast Asian destination.

The campaign also coincides with the Malaysian sale season, an annual national sale held between June 15 and August 31.

Among the stakeholders in the campaign are the Malaysian government, the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping mall, and high-end retailer The Melium Group, who are jointly promoting the shopping event on the global scale.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Chinese tourists represent the most important customer segment for luxury retailers in Malaysia,outspending all other customer groups in Malaysia’s luxury shopping segment.

Malaysia, which has liberalized its visa policy for Chinese tourists, is an increasingly popular destination for Chinese travelers.

In 2016, 2.1 million Chinese tourists visited the country, a number the Malaysian government hopes will grow to 3 million Chinese visitors in 2017.

Based on a report on the Tourism Refund Scheme, 43 percent of the tourist expenditure is on watches and jewelry, which are considered as luxury items.

Chinese tourists are the largest spenders on these items, followed by Singaporeans, Indonesians, Indians, and Bangladeshis.

All this gives an indication of the growth and potential of luxury shopping and luxury tourism, with markets in Asia leading the way as high retails spenders, YBhg. Datuk Hj. Ab. Ghaffar bin A.

Tambi, the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia Secretary General said in a speech at the Kuala Lumpur campaign launch event.

Just across the Johor-Singapore Causeway, Singapore is holding a similar shopping event.

The Great Singapore Sale which also vies to attract big-spenders in the region to retailers in Singapore. Organized by the Singapore Retailers Association in collaboration with Visit Singapore and China’s UnionPay, The Great Singapore Sale serves a formidable competitor for the Malaysia Mega Sale—both hoping that their sales will generate increased visitation and shopping among important customer segments.

With our duty-free status, we can capitalize on the luxury tourist shoppers market as luxury brand prices in Malaysia are within an average of 25 percent lower than in some other countries and with GST tax refund, our luxury brands prices are more attractive.

On top of that, Malaysia now has an impressive range of international luxury fashion brands, The Melium Group President Dato Seri Farah Khan said at the event.

With a growing number of shopping events popping up around the world, each promoting deep discounts and generous tax refund policies, finding a suitable shopping destination has never been easier for China’s big-spending luxury tourists.


Tourism Observer
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MALAYSIA: Elephant Calf Killed In Road Accident

Malaysia's beleaguered wild elephants face a variety of daily dangers. They may be poached for their body parts. They may be poisoned by smallholders and plantation owners to keep them off their properties.

And they may be killed in road accidents.

A young elephant calf has just suffered that fate in Gerik. The two-year-old jumbo was found dead, lying in a pool of blood, by the side of the Gerik-Jeli Highway in Gerik, in Perak state.

The juvenile pachyderm had likely been killed by a vehicle while it was trying to cross the road.

Such incidents involving elephants are relatively rare in Malaysia, but numerous wild animals fall victim to vehicular accidents regularly, from deer to tapirs.

The stretch of highway where the young calf was killed has long been highlighted by conservationists as a dangerous spot for wild elephants.

Jumbos from the Royal Belum State Park and Temenggor Forest Reserve in the area often wander around the highway, especially in early morning and late at night when visibility is low, as they forage for food.

Wild elephants tend to cover large distances in search of a varied diet and during their travels they are exposed to risks, including accidents on the roads they need to cross to get from one part of the forest to another.

The young elephant was found by members of the Malaysian conservationist group Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants (MEME). "We are devastated to see a baby elephant killed by a car at Gerik-Jeli Highway," Alicia Solana Mena, a field manager and elephant tracker for MEME, wrote in a Facebook post, which displayed images of the dead calf taken at the site.

The conservationist has urged Malaysian motorists to remain alert while driving through wildlife areas.

Drivers please slow down at roads with wildlife crossings,she wrote. Be mindful of our forest friends. Let's not cause them any more harm. They have already lost so much when we took their forest to build roads on.

Drivers will indeed need to be careful as the chance of similar accidents involving wildlife will remain high. Many wild animals, elephants included, are being boxed into ever-shrinking habitats by encroaching development, and deprived of ample roaming grounds they often have no choice but to venture into populated areas where they are at increasing risk of being hunted, killed or run over.

Wild elephants have already lost so much of their forests and more of them are coming out to roads to find food like grass, palm trees and bamboo, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz was quoted as saying by the BBC news service.

They are also spending more time hanging around roads," he added. As Malaysia develops, it needs to compromise, especially in this landscape which houses one of the most important forests in South-East Asia. Elephants need to roam freely and safely."