The Department of Wildlife and National Parks, (DWNP/PERHILITAN) Peninsular Malaysia was formerly known as the Game Department. The first law pertaining to wildlife was passed in 1896. The first wildlife reserve, Chior Wildlife Reserve, was gazetted in 1903. Efforts to create a central agency to coordinate wildlife and habitat conservation activities was initiated in 1930 with the appointment of T.R. Hubback, the former Game Warden of Pahang, as the Wildlife Commissioner of Malaya.

Two major actions were undertaken based on the recommendations by the Wildlife Commission of Malaya Report of 1932:-

• The formation of the Game Department headquarters in 1936 with the appointment of Captain Ritchie as the first paid Chief Game Warden; and

• The formation of King George V National Park (renamed Taman Negara National Park after independence) in 1939 straddling across Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu states with an area 4,343 sq km.

In 1955, the Federal Government passed a new standardized legislation, “The Wild Animals and Wild Birds Protection Ordinance”, to coordinate the enforcement of wildlife protection in Peninsular Malaysia. However, the administration of state Game Departments were still under the respective State Governments. Following the enactment of the Protection of Wildlife Act in 1972, the Federal Government, after consulting the State Governments, federalized the administration of all states Game Departments in Peninsular Malaysia. Subsequently the Game Department was renamed as the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP/PERHILITAN), Peninsular Malaysia.