Congratulating the Johor government for the recognition, Takiyuddin said the Endau Rompin Park is the fourth AHP in Malaysia after Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak; Kinabalu National Park, Sabah; and Taman Negara (covering Pahang, Kelantan, and Terengganu).

He said efforts to obtain the recognition started in 2018, adding that the nomination was finally approved by the Asean environment ministers on July 7.

“This is a success for Malaysia, particularly the Johor state government, in its efforts to improve biodiversity conservation.

“At the same time, this achievement enhances the image of Johor Endau Rompin National Park as an area of regional biodiversity interest,” he said in a statement here today.

He said AHP is a programme under Asean that recognises unique areas in the region with rich biodiversity and the most important ecological values.

The Endau Rompin National Park covers an area of 48,905ha, more than 90% of which is covered by tropical rainforests.

The ecosystem is still preserved and forms the core area of the Southern Forest Landscape spanning 10,000 sq km. It plays an important role as a habitat for endangered large mammals, especially the Malayan tiger.

The area is rich in biodiversity with an estimated 1,593 species of flora that represent 19.2% of flora species in Peninsular Malaysia, including 38 critically endangered species, 16 endangered species and 26 vulnerable species.

It also boasts 39 species of mammals, birds (253), amphibians and reptiles (140), freshwater fish (108) and butterflies (274).

Takiyuddin said the ministry welcomed state government efforts to nominate potential areas as AHP sites or sites of international biodiversity interest, under Ramsar, Man and the Biosphere, and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, to ensure these areas continue to be preserved.