SWAG Tiger Talk: Conservation from Forests to Frontlines

Guardians of the Malayan Tiger: Conservation from Forests to Frontlines
The Malayan tiger is critically endangered, with its survival dependent on protecting the remaining forests and supporting frontline teams working tirelessly to safeguard them.

As part of SWAG Tiger Talk Series 2026, Alex Jack, General Manager and Head of Conservation, Malaysian Conservation Collective (MyCC), will give us an insider look at the organisation’s work protecting tigers and restoring their habitats in Peninsular Malaysia.

Rooted in Merapoh, MyCC works across critical tiger landscapes including the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor and, more recently, Cadu within the eastern boundary of the Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve. Its teams of rangers and volunteers patrol hundreds of square kilometers of forest, removing snares, detecting illegal activities and gathering vital information that helps protect tigers and other threatened wildlife.

But conservation is more than patrols. MyCC restores degraded habitats, and works to instil hope to marginalised local indigenous communities. They focus heavily on investing in the training, welfare and capacity of the rangers who spend weeks at a time in the forest.

Importantly, MyCC also embraces citizen conservation, enabling people from Singapore and beyond to take an active role in protecting tiger landscapes. SWAG volunteers regularly join MyCC on anti-poaching surveillance walks, experiencing firsthand the realities of forest protection and directly contributing to conservation on the ground.

Key Takeaways:

What are the challenges faced by small conservation organizations working to save the Malayan tiger?

What are some success stories and what can we learn from them?

Who are the professional conservationists and citizen volunteers working in tandem to help give the Malayan tiger a future?

About the Speaker
Based in the rural village of Merapoh, Alex brings more than a decade of experience in tiger conservation, working on the ground to strengthen anti-poaching protection, ranger capacity and landscape conservation. He has played a key role in expanding MyCC’s work from the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor into the Cadu area of the Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve. Passionate about collaboration, Alex champions citizen conservation and partnerships that connect people with meaningful action for Malaysia’s wildlife.