It is listed as "Least Concern" by IUCN as it is a relatively widely distributed, appears to be tolerant of degraded habitats, and occurs in a number of protected areas.

[1] Viverra tangalunga was the scientific name proposed by John Edward Gray in 1832 for a spotted zoological specimen.

[3] The historical range of the Malay civet includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore.

[7] The Malay civet population in the Philippines may have originated in Borneo and colonized Palawan island naturally.

[1] However, in many rural areas of Peninsular Malaysia civets are considered a pest because they prey on small livestock and raid fruit orchards.