Bryan Christy

When I was a kid, New Jersey Governor Tom Kean had a saying, “New Jersey and you–purrfect together.”  Kean had a kind of patrician twang that made the line memorable.  Here is a piece running today in Malaysia, with a message for the world: What have you done for the tiger today?   (PS.  Tigers make good metaphors.)  The author is Azrina Abdullah, who has a new column with The Sun.  

The Tiger and You
by Azrina Abdullah  The Sun, Malaysia

THE Chinese Year of the Tiger began on Feb 14 with fanfare reminding us of the perils of being a tiger. It coincided with Valentine’s Day, with couples celebrating by donating to tiger causes and wearing anything tiger striped to show their support for the various organisations working to save the tiger.

It is estimated that only 3,200 tigers are left in the wild globally, with 500 in Malaysia. So, this was a great start to the year for the species and there was some hope that action would be galvanised by all to save the Malayan tiger. Various efforts were made to raise awareness on the tiger among the public. So, what has happened since? (more…)

Letter to the Editor appearing in today’s The Star, Malaysia.  Those of you who follow this blog, or the story of efforts to improve law enforcement in Malaysia, know that Azrina Abdullah, former director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, has been an outspoken champion.  Here’s my coverage of her work (Full disclosure:  She also gave The Lizard King a positive review).  Her courage to stand up and speak out on behalf of the country she is proud of and its wildlife has inspired positive change in her home, Malaysia, in the U.S., and no doubt in a few other places, too.

The question remains whether Minister Uggah will make this a meaningful reform or a paper one.  Is this the beginning of improvement or the end?  The forthcoming investigative audit will tell.

The Star
January 29, 2010
Check on wildlife permits hailed

I REFER to the article by Hilary Chiew “Minister to chair special wildlife permit panel” (The Star, Jan 24).

Well done to the minister for taking the initiative and positive step towards improving Peninsular Malaysia’s special permit system.

The proposed change is certainly welcome, especially in light of the numerous reports and letters from the public expressing dismay and concern over the mismanagement of wildlife trade over the past year. (more…)

The Malaysian public are responding with fury to Hilary Chiew’s probe on wildlife trafficking running this week in The Star.  Here are some letters running today, including one from Azrina Abdullah, which you’ve got to read if you care about public taking action for wildlife:  Letters to the Editor .  They respond to this article…

Front Page, The Star, Aug 10, 2009