Take-away messages from attending IPS-MPS Congress 2023

Attending the IPS-MPS Congress 2023 has given me the opportunity to get to know the many experts working on small apes in Malaysia, such as Prof. Dr Susan Lappan (Appalachian State University), Dr Susan Cheyne (Borneo Nature Foundation International), and also from other countries, such as Prof. Dr Farid Ahsan (University of Chittagong), Prof. Dr Sabir Muzaffar (United Arab Emirates University), and many other primatologists during the Symposium: Addressing Knowledge Gaps and for Saving the Small Apes: Lessons from Research, Conservation, and Outreach. Most interestingly, I have enjoyed the privilege of listening to the whole-day plenary talks during this first part of the symposium by many experts and established researchers on various topics of current knowledge, including conservation, behavioural ecology, breeding ecology, human conflict and anthropogenic factors, and population studies. Hearing the plenary talks by Dr Susan Cheyne, Prof. Dr Susan Lappan, and Dr Aini Hasanah gave me a better understanding of the existing gaps in our knowledge on gibbon ecology, habitat, and distribution, which warrant more extensive research in the upcoming years.

On the second part of this symposium, I have obtained valuable insight from the plenary talk by Dr Cornelia Oedekoven (University of St Andrews) on harnessing the distinct calls of gibbons with an advanced digital recorder and estimation of call direction to accurately estimate gibbon density and abundance in the field. Afterward, I obtained much valuable information from the presentations by promising and early-career primatologists from various universities and agencies on other species of gibbons in Southeast Asia. Taking the opportunity, I have done my presentation on ‘Species Distribution Modelling for Gibbons—Prediction Based on Current and Future Climate and Coverage Condition of Protected Areas in Peninsular Malaysia’ and invoked the interest of several presenters who aim to apply SDM in their future research. The presentation by Arif Setiwan (Swaraowa Indonesia) on Mentawai Gibbon Conservation was truly captivating, as it brought me to the interesting local cultures and knowledge on primates among the Mentawai tribe, extensive long-term surveys along the Mentawai Islands, and their conservation and awareness efforts. And lastly, I am truly did not regret for great opportunity to participate in the Global Gibbon Network meeting, which involved presentation by several experts and roundtable session discussing on the current issues and conservation efforts, including the nomination of two candidate species of gibbons to be enlisted in The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates for the next two years.

Other than that, I also get the opportunity to involved with promotion and selling the merchandise from Malaysian Primatology Society (MPS) with other THF-MPS grantees. Despite of lack of experience of managing and promoting the merchandises, I do get the opportunity to get known with other grantees especially on their research background and experiences in primatological studies. I also get into fruitful discussion with other participants regarding the SDM and exchanges our information and resources. Finally, a roundtable meeting on the Future of Primates in Malaysia which collects all experts and next generation of primatologist to share their research background, engagement in research and conservation on primates in Malaysia. I am truly inspired by the presentation from Peter Ong that utilised visual art to promote primate conservation in Malaysia. I also obtained more information regarding the distribution and conservation of agile gibbons in Peninsular Malaysia from a presentation by Ethan Pang Yi Heng (The Habitat Foundation).

Overall, the five days I spent at the IPS-MPS Congress 2023 have given me a life-changing experience and exposed me to various opportunities for collaboration and potential projects for future research on small apes. I am also delightfully grateful for the opportunities to interact and exchange knowledge with other recipients and participants during this congress.

For that, I am truly grateful and thankful to The Habitat Foundation and the Malaysian Primatological Society for providing the joint travel grant, and I am looking forward to continuously contributing to the betterment of research and conservation on primate, especially small apes, in Malaysia.