Lara Ariffin

Co-founder and president of RIMAU, Lara Ariffin has spent the last 25 years shining a light on tiger endangerment.

In the 1950s, it was estimated that 3,000 tigers roamed the rainforest. However, today, there are less than 150 in the wild. Established in 2018, RIMAU concentrates mainly on anti-poaching efforts in the forests of Perakm employing the orang asli who have invaluable traditional knowledge to carry out SMART patrolling. The Menraq patrol team based in Royal Belum was awarded the 2023 IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award for their contribution towards tiger conservation.

Thinking ahead, Lara has been a massive help to the community development of Royal Belum. By training indigenous teachers, they have managed to provide basic literacy to the children of the Sungai Kejar cluster of villages.

Outside of RIMAU, Lara’s advocacy also has a creative outlet. Receiving high acclaim for her cinematography and ecological soundness, her films have been featured on and created in collaboration with many high profile individuals such as the National Geographic Channel and Michelle Yeoh, the latter via her film “Among the Great Apes”.

Making an impact is effecting change in policy and society, helping journalists do good journalism, and raising the voices of the marginalised and the voiceless.