Professor
BSc, MSc (West Virginia), PhD (U. Queensland)

Little work is being conducted on their distribution, abundance, status and ecology of some of the species of mammals in Borneo. Some species are only known from one or two specimens and localities. In early 1970s, I was involved with the conservation of large mammals, particularly the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros. With rapid habitat destruction and hunting pressure in Malaysia, I am now concentrating my research effort to document on the distribution, population status and basic species ecology, and find ways for in situ conservation of the species and their natural habitats in Malaysia. Since 1994, biodiversity surveys funded by the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in Borneo have resulted in the discovery of several new distribution records of mammals. New information on the species may be useful in our effort to save and protect species from being pushed to the brink of extinction amidst fast rainforest destruction. 

Area of research

I’m interested on the biogeography and phylogenetics of mammals in the Southeast Asian region by using both classical and molecular methods.

Selected Publications

Ryan, J.R., K.H.G. Andy, V.K. Jayaraj, Y. Esa, A.A. Sallehin and Abdullah, M.T. 2008. Malaysian fruit bats phylogeny inferred using ribosomal RNA. Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci 31(1):107-117.

Jaya Seelan, S.S, F.A. Anwarali, R.J. Baker, Sepiah, M, and M.T. Abdullah. 2008. Bats (chiroptera) recorded with Aspergillus species from kubah national park, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo.  Zoonoses Symposium, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan.

Wong Siew Fui, Besar Ketol and Abdullah, M.T. 2008. Catalogue of mammals in the UNIMAS Zoological Museum. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan

Abdullah, M.T. 2007. Mammals of Borneo online. Prospect Malaysia 2: 84-85.

Abdullah, M.T., Puttipong Jusait, Prakwat Wo Han Di, MZ Ariffin and LS Hall. 2007. Observations of bats in three national parks in Thailand. Tigerpaper 34(4): 5-10.

Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan, Siti Nurlydia Sazali, Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran, Siali Aban, Mohd Kasyfullah Zaini, Besar Ketol, Jeffrine Rovie Ryan, Ahmad Mashur Julaihi, L.S. Hall and Abdullah, M.T. 2007. Bat of Bako National Park. Sarawak Museum Journal LXIII(84):267-300.

Abdullah M.T., A.A Tuen, Hanifah Mustafa. 2006. The mammal fauna. In The Biodiversity of Peat Swamp Forest in Sarawak. F. Abang and I Das (eds.). Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan. Pp137-142.

Besar Ketol, Sekudan Tedong and Abdullah, M.T. 2006. Distribution of the rare flying lemur in Kota Samarahan and Kuching area, Sarawak. Sarawak Museum Journal 83: 237-241.

Jayaraj V.K., Besar Ketol, FAA Khan, LS Hall, Abdullah, M.T. 2006. Bat survey of Mount Penrisen and notes on the rare Kerivoula minuta, Kerivoula intermedia and Hipposideros coxi in Sarawak, Borneo. Journal of Biological Sciences 6(4): 711-716.

Siti Nurlydia Sazali, Besar Ketol and Abdullah, M.T. 2006. A Study on the Genus Rhinolophus Using Partial mtDNA Cytochrome b Gene Sequences.  Hornbill 8: 204-210.

Les S. Hall, Gordon G. Grigg, Craig Moritz, Besar Ketol, Isa Sait, Wahab Marni and M.T. Abdullah. 2004. Biogeography of fruit bats in Southeast Asia. Sarawak Museum Journal 81: 191-284.

Abdullah M.T, Neuchlos Jub and Norhayani Jalaweh. 2003. First Record of Hipposideros ater in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo.  Sarawak Museum Journal 79: 271-274.

Hall LS, Richards GC, and Abdullah M.T. 2002. The bats of Niah National Park, Sarawak. Sarawak Museum Journal 78: 255-282.

Zainal-Zahari Z, Abdullah, M.T., Daim MS, and Yasak MN. 2001. Introduction of the green peafowl (Pavo muticus muticus) in the vicinity of Melaka Zoo, Malaysia – a preliminary observation. Journal of Wildlife and Parks 19: 1-5.

Abdullah, M.T., C. Moritz, G.C. Grigg and L. Hall. 2000. Evidence of cryptic species within Cynopterus brachyotis by using mtDNA sequence. In Yaacob Z, Moo-Tan S, Yorath S (eds) In situ and ex situ Biodiversity Conservation. Yayasan Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, pp403-408.

Salleh MA, Sim UH, Rahman MA, and Abdullah, M.T. 1998. Isolation of genomic DNA from fruit bats for DNA archiving and determination of genetic variation. In A Scientific Journey Through Borneo: Bario. G. Ismail & LB Din (eds.) pp231-240. Pelanduk Publications, Kuala Lumpur.

Abdullah, M.T. 1998. An unusual case of Western tarsier Tarsius bancanus preying on fruit bats in Borneo. ARBEC e-journal 1:1-6.

Abdullah, M.T., Siswanto, H., Widiyanto, A., Setiabudi, A. and Firmansyah. 1997. Abdundance, diversity and distributional records of bats in disturbed habitats in Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia. Sarawak Museum Journal 72:75-84.

Abdullah M.T., Rahman M.A and Hall, L.S. 1996. New records for bats in Sarawak, Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 50:365-367.

Abdullah M.T., Daim MS, and Zainuddin ZZ. 1992. Capture, immobilization and translocation of elephant from Pulau Ubin, Singapore to Endau-Rompin State Park, Johore, Malaysia. Asian Elephant Specialist Group Newsletter 8:34-37.

Abidin Z.Z, Abdullah, M.T., Rahman M.A, and Yusof E. 1991. Large mammals in Peninsular Malaysia. In The state of nature conservation in Malaysia. R. Kiew (ed) Malayan Nature Society pp173-176.

Zainal-Zahari, Z., Abdullah, M.T. and Suri M.S.M. 1990. The husbandry and veterinary care of captive Sumatran rhinoceros at Zoo Melaka. Malayan Nature Journal 44: 1-19.

Zainuddin Z.Z, Abdullah M.T., Suri MSM, and Marid-Hassan A.R.K. 1990. Milk composition of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Proceedings of the 2nd Congress of Veterinary Association of Malaysia. pp 121-122. http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/

Flynn RW, Abdullah M.T. 1984. Distribution and status of the Sumatran rhinoceros in Peninsular Malaysia. Biological Conservation 28: 253-273.

Flynn RW, and Abdullah M.T. 1983. Distribution and number of Sumatran rhinoceros in the Endau-Rompin region of Peninsular Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 36: 219-247.