Indonesia and Malaysia strengthen commitment to cross-border wildlife protection
Jakarta – Indonesia and Malaysia have strengthened cooperation in protecting wildlife that moves across national borders, as evidenced by a meeting between Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni and Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin.
“Wildlife does not recognise state boundaries; their movement is ecological and borderless. Therefore, the conservation approach must also transcend the administrative boundaries of both countries with the aim of protecting them,” said Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
During the meeting held in Jakarta on Wednesday (25 February), the Forestry Minister emphasised the importance of strengthening strategic cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia in protecting wildlife that migrates across national borders.
He also reported findings from technical teams in North Kalimantan Province concerning the movement of Bornean orangutan populations (Pongo pygmaeus) crossing administrative boundaries into Malaysian territories, namely Sabah and Sarawak.
The orangutan species found across the Kalimantan landscape has been classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Besides orangutans, other species are also present, such as elephants and proboscis monkeys.
The Forestry Minister emphasised that the Kalimantan forest landscape represents a unified and interconnected ecosystem despite the national border within it. Habitat fragmentation, land-cover change, and pressure from illegal activities could potentially increase risks to already-threatened wildlife populations.
On the same occasion, the Malaysian Ambassador expressed appreciation and welcomed Indonesia’s initiative, stating the Malaysian Government’s readiness to strengthen technical collaboration between the forest and conservation authorities of both nations.
This cooperation is expected to serve as a model for transnational conservation management in the regional area.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to follow up on the discussions through formal cooperation mechanisms and the development of a joint technical framework in the near future.