Animal rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said wildlife crime in Malaysia is overwhelmingly link­ed to organised and often transnational syndicates, rather than isolated individuals. Rajesh, who is also Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malay­sia president, questioned whether high demand alone should be blamed for wildlife crime, pointing to what he described as weak follow-through after major seizures. “It is unlikely that indivi­duals acting alone could identify, target and traffic wildlife that fetches high prices in the illegal market. “The fight against wildlife crime cannot rely on enforcement alone. On public involvement, he said Perhilitan already has a reward scheme for informants to encourage tip-offs on wildlife crimes.

Source: The Star January 23, 2026 13:14 UTC