The people’s safety is of paramount importance and placing wild animals such as tigers in the vicinity of a highly-residential area will only invite danger, said Penang Gerakan Treasurer Ng Fook On.

In a statement, Ng said the Penang state government should not risk the lives of the people just because it wanted to impress upon Penangites that it could implement an eco-tourism project.

“Tigers must be allowed to stay in their natural habitat like jungles and forests where they can move freely and easily,” said Ng when commenting on the state government’s plan to set up a tiger park on a plot of land near the Relau metropolitan park.

Ng said the proposed project seemed to have “come out of the blue.”

“Is there a blueprint? Is it a private-driven initiative or a state’s project? , What about the safety aspects?” asked Ng.

The proposed project had also drawn criticisms from several non-government organizations (NGOs), including the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (Mycat).