Sembang@WWF
Sembang@WWF 2018
was a success!
Our endless gratitude to all those participated in Sembang@WWF 2018. We owe you big time for the success!
Check out what went down during
Sembang@WWF 2018!
Sembang@WWF 2018 - Save the Malayan Tiger
WWF-Malaysia’s storytelling platform, Sembang@WWF dedicated Earth Day to the plight of Malayan Tiger this year. Hundreds of young adults came from all across Malaysia to witness their fellow friends taking the stage to speak passionately about one of the world’s most iconic wildlife.
Held each year in conjunction with the Global Earth Day, the event aims to engage and transport the students’ mind to stories on poverty, haze, wildlife poaching, shark finning and this year it’s all about tigers.
About Sembang@WWF
What is Sembang@WWF?
Storytelling connects us to humanity because it helps us relate and empathize. With the magic of storytelling, we created a platform called ‘Sembang@WWF’ in our youth programme. The session gives an opportunity for students to speak on various environmental issues. It aims to engage and transport the students’ mind to stories on poverty, haze, wildlife poaching, shark finning and many more.
Sembang@WWF is an instrument for us to listen and share ideas on what we can do as individuals to make a change for a better environment. Through this platform, our programme aims to build youth leaders who are fluent in the concepts of climate change and are aware of its unprecedented threat to our planet. We need them to empower everyone with the knowledge to inspire action in defense of environmental protection.
The idea hinges on one of the steps advocated in the strategies of ESD - informing and involving society in their on-going sustainability initiatives in their respective schools, teacher education campuses, universities and even communities.
Sembang though it alludes to a laidback sentiment in Bahasa Melayu, will be the total opposite of its linguistic meaning in execution. The word was chosen because it embodies the spirit on inclusivity of ESD. It also symbolises aesthetic value and traditional knowledge promotion, which are among the core values of ESD.
Sembang@WWF 2017 speakers. Last year's Sembang@WWF was held at
Soka Gakkai Cultural Center in Kuala Lumpur.
Sembang@WWF 2018 - Tiger Conservation
Why is the theme this year Tiger Conservation?
In the 1950s, Malaysia was thought to be home to around 3,000 Malayan tigers. Sadly, there's only as few as 250 to 340 wild tigers left today.The declining tiger populations are threatened primarily by habitat loss, poaching and wildlife trade, lack of food and human-tiger conflict. As you notice that the extinction of tigers is not due to a single factor, we would like to encourage the speakers to speak on various issues in relation to the tiger conservation.
Interested to know why we are emphasising on tiger conservation for Sembang@WWF 2018, take a look at the video below:
Why attend?
This is the fourth Sembang@WWF organised by WWF-Malaysia, & will be bigger & better! Not only will the science & policy be at the cutting edge; the event will be carried out by Eco-warriors with many years of valuable experience & knowledge on tiger conservation. Sembang@WWF 2018 will feature Sembang@WWF finalist speakers from Eco-Schools & FEE EcoCampus Programmes, throughout Malaysia. Additionally, expert speakers from government agencies & NGOs advocating Tiger Conservation. Thus, we urge everybody interested in Tiger Conservation to come to Sembang@WWF 2018.
The event will also feature environmental NGOs & social enterprises showcasing their eco-campaigns. We are expecting more than 400 visitors from all over Klang Valley & beyond!
Who are the expert speakers?
The half day event at Sunway Nexis, Kota Damansara will also feature a forum discussion titled “Joining The Conversation: What It Really Takes to Save Our Stripes”. Expert speakers from MYCAT, TRAFFIC, Department of Wildlife and National Park and WWF-Malaysia joint forces to enlighten participants in deepening their current understanding of challenges and issues surrounding tiger conservation efforts in our country.
When and where is the event?
Sembang@WWF 2018 is a half-day event. It will be held from:
21st April 2018 in Sunway Nexis Mall (Kota Damansara), Selangor.
Sembang@WWF 2018 Schedule
Note: Activities may differ during the Sembang@WWF 2018 event.
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Sembang@WWF 2018 Programme Booklet
Additional infomation
If you require supporting documents to participate Sembang@WWF 2018, please download the document at the link below.
Our Storytellers
Asya Aleeya Azmir
Idrissi International School
Sembang@WWF Title :
Why Should we save Malayan Tigers?
About the Storyteller :
Asya Aleeya hails from Putra Heights is the daughter to Azmir and Noreeta. Born in 2006, Aleeya – or Yaya, as she is affectionately known – is the eldest of four sisters. Yaya is a dreamer and someone who is comfortable in her own skin. She’s easy going, soft spoken, and gets along well with her friends. Yaya loves getting lost in books, often neglecting her household chores (and even her parents!). She started reading teen novels since she was 7 or 8 years old, devouring 300 or 400 page books within days. Recently, she’s crossed over from fiction to non-fiction with a book on how to read body language. At home, Yaya is kind and annoying in equal measure. Along with her sisters, she can hold a no-topic conversation from KL to Johor with ease. She’s also learning her responsibilities as the big sister and, more importantly, on how to be a good Muslimah and a good example to others.
Delisha Kaur Boparai
SMK Damansara Jaya
Sembang@WWF Title :
Tigers - Let's Be Their Roar!
About the Storyteller :
I'm just a girl who believes in doing what's right. I've always chosen to go against something I don't believe is right even though that means going against my own friends and loved ones. I don't particularly love the company of tigers but I strongly am against animal poaching. I believe that animals and humans have an equal right to live on earth and we shouldn't overpower each other.
Luqman Hakim
Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Pendidikan Islam
Sembang@WWF Title :
Pemuliharaan Harimau
About the Storyteller :
Luqman was born in a village surrounded with lush green forests in Negeri Sembilan, hence he’s accustomed to being in greenery. He loves cats even though he never had any. He would love to explore the ocean’s life and be in awe at its wonders. He’s glad to be a part of his institution’s conservation club as it’s given him new perspectives on various environmental issues. He hopes by being in Sembang@WWF, he’s able to learn and impart knowledge on tigers and its relevance to human and our world.
Siti Nurilyana Khalid
Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Perempuan Melayu Melaka
Sembang@WWF Title :
Breaking the Internet: How to get Malayan Tiger Conservation Project Viral
About the Storyteller :
Turning 23 this year, the road to maturity seems endless. Growing up means taking responsibilities. Beings and nature all together desire attention, and as a member of Earth, I must comply. To serve humanity, I volunteered in YSS-ASEAN Mission to Sandakan, Sabah for two weeks and I am an active member of The Wakaf Buku; where we build libraries as a gateway to knowledge for children around Malaysia. Serving nature, I have always been pushing myself to take initiatives to recycle, to avoid waste, and to care for the environment. It seems like now is the time to move to a bigger platform and do more for mother Earth!
Benjamin Ooi
SMK Damansara Jaya
Sembang@WWF Title :
Why status quo is not enough?
About the Storyteller :
Benjamin Ooi is a form 5 student from SMK Damansara Jaya and has always been an avid supporter for animal welfare and rights in his whole life. He’s always being very vocal about his opinions and it has so far been magnified by his passion in debating. “I hope one day I'll be able to make a change to make a better world for all animals, even if it is just a small change”, Benjamin Ooi.
The Expert Speakers
Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj
Tiger Landscape Lead (WWF-Malaysia)
About the Speaker :
Dr Mark Rayan Darmaraj is WWF-Malaysia’s Tiger Conservation Programme Lead and has been working with WWF-Malaysia for the past fourteen years. His particular interests are on the population ecology of large mammals, especially tigers. Prior to joining WWF-Malaysia, Dr Mark worked as a research assistant for the School of Biological Sciences, University Science Malaysia, whilst carrying out his MSc research on small mammal ecology with the use of radio telemetry on an isolated mountain in Peninsular Malaysia.
Dr Mark completed his PhD in 2012 at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, UK on determining the conservation status of tigers and its prey in he Belum-Temengor forest complex.
His PhD research not only provides the basis for conservation planning for tigers, but also implements some of the actions enlisted in the National Tiger Action Plan for Malaysia, as well as contributes to the knowledge needed on tiger ecology. Dr Mark, on behalf of his Wildlife Monitoring team, bagged the BBC Wildlife Magazine 2010 best camera-trap photo award (Malayan Tiger) - Overall and Animal Portraits winner (USD 3,000) for WWF-Malaysia’s Tiger Conservation Programme. He is also a fellow of the prestigious WWF-US, Kathryn Fuller Science for Nature Fellowship (2009-2012).
Dr Mark’s earlier research on tigers has highlighted the potential contribution of selectively logged forest for tiger conservation. Although his research is focused on tigers, he has worked hard on getting out pertinent conservation information on other species in Malaysia as well, such as the Asian tapir.
Kanitha Krishnasamy
Acting Regional Director (TRAFFIC)
About the Speaker :
Kanitha Krishnasamy possesses over 15 years of knowledge and expertise working in the conservation field. Currently the Acting Regional Director for TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s extensive programme in Southeast Asia, she leads the region’s programme on tackling trade in most critically threatened species including tigers, rhinos and elephants, birds, bears and pangolins and others threatened by trade. Kanitha’s wealth of knowledge on wildlife, trade and regional conservation policy informs not only the organisation’s work but its advice to agencies on monitoring and tackling wildlife trafficking and law enforcement support. Prior to joining the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia team, Kanitha worked with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) for seven years, after which she served on its Board for two years. While at MNS, she helmed its Policy Unit for six years, leading its forest and conservation policy and multilateral environmental agreement developments. Kanitha holds a Bachelors Degree in International Tropical Forest Management, and is a current Board Member for FSC in Malaysia.
Suzalinur Manja Bidin
Citizen Action for Tigers Programme Manager (MYCAT)
About the Speaker :
SUZALINUR MANJA BIDIN has been with MYCAT since 2007. Tapping into his experience working as a Zoo Educator prior to joining MYCAT, he has co-developed, coordinated and executed MYCAT’s outreach and education programmes at poaching and trading hotspots targeting both urban and rural communities. He trains other MYCAT staff and volunteers to conduct the outreach.
As Senior Programme Officer, he had previously coordinated a joint capacity- building programme for Taman Negara enforcement staff using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and assisted to monitor the implementation of the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan, a comprehensive roadmap to save wild Malayan tigers.
Currently, he manages MYCAT’s Wildlife Crime Hotline and Citizen Action for Tigers (CAT) and outreach programme. His talents include graphic design and he is the in- house designer for many MYCAT posters and newsletters.
He is appointed as a member of the WILDFRIENDS setup by the Wildlife Department to assists the government towards conserving wildlife in Malaysia.
Hazril Rafhan Abdul Halim
Senior Wildlife Officer (Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia)
About the Speaker :
Working with Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia since 2007 and lead the Tiger Unit under Biodiversity Conservation Division for almost 11 years. Participate in many Wildlife Inventories in Protected Areas and forest reserves.Involve with planning, implementing and monitoring of the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP). Conduct a tiger survey in Taman Negara (2010-2016) under 10th Malaysian Plan Programme. Currently conducting the 1st National Tiger Survey (1st NTS) under 11th Malaysian Plan Programme. Involve actively in various meetings, forums and seminars on tiger conservation whether inside or outside the country.
Wanna get your question(s) on tiger answered by our tiger experts during Sembang@WWF 2018 session?
Throw them here!
Our Past
Sembang@WWF
Contact Us
Nor Shidawati Binti Abdul Rasid
Senior Manager | Formal Education
WWF-Malaysia
Tel: +603 7450 3773 Ext. 6317
Email: nrasid@wwf.org.my
WWF-Malaysia
1 Jalan PJS 5/28A
Petaling Jaya Commercial Centre (PJCC)
46150 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia