TAIPING: The 25-year agreement involving the transfer of the three elephants from Malaysia to Japan has been described as “too long” and akin to “life imprisonment”, with concerns raised over their welfare and the lack of transparency surrounding the deal.
The elephants – Dara, 14, Amoi, nine, and Kelat, 20, collectively known as DAK - are the subject of growing calls for relocation back from Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan, to Malaysia amid welfare concerns.
Speaking at a solidarity gathering for the elephants, “Solidarity with DAK Secretariat” coordinator Neow Choo Seong said the Federal Government should set up a special task force.
Neow, who is also MCA Youth information chief, compared it with Malaysia’s panda diplomacy programme with China, which operates on a five-year review basis.
“I was involved in the panda diplomacy project, and the panda agreement involved extensive negotiations between governments and included periodic reviews, welfare assessments, as well as exit and repatriation plans should conditions become harmful to the animals.
“In this instance, this elephant exchange programme, we have not heard of anything. We do not know who it represents.
“If you are talking about Malaysia and Japan, that should be between the two governments. It should not be between two zoos or local authorities,” he told reporters after handing over a memorandum at the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) on Saturday (May 9).
No one from MPT was there to receive the memorandum. The document was left at the counter with the guard.
Neow said 25 years was not a reasonable term. Even panda diplomacy only involved a five-year term, where both countries could review the animals' condition and welfare.
On May 6, MPT president Mohamed Akmal Dahalan, in a statement, said the three elephants are healthy and continue to receive proper care at the Japanese zoo.
He had said that the three elephants were adjusting well to their new surroundings and had shown significant weight gains and were being closely monitored by zoo authorities to ensure their continued good health.
His views were also reportedly echoed by three Malaysian mahouts (elephant handlers) from Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre, who have been stationed at Tennoji Zoo since April 15 to assist with the animals' care.
Akmal had said the agreement between the two zoos, which was signed on May 19, 2022, and Oct 6, 2022, involved the transfer of the elephants for a period of 25 years.
Earlier during the solidarity gathering at the Taiping Zoo and Night Safari, Neow said the task force should audit the condition of the three elephants.
He said the task force should be established in seven days, comprising independent elephant experts, zoologists and veterinarians to assess the animals' physical and mental health.
“We are demanding action. The Prime Minister has the executive power to establish a special task force so that immediate action can be taken.
“If the conditions are found to be unsuitable, the government must have a repatriation plan to bring the three elephants back to Malaysia,” he said, adding that diplomacy cannot come at the expense of animal welfare.
He said that if no action was taken within seven days, the group plans to organise a larger gathering, possibly at the Japanese Embassy, Putrajaya or Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Projek Pulang NGO representative Fuad Khalid said Tennoji Zoo has no successful elephant breeding record and questioned its facilities, claiming that the enclosure was too small compared to Malaysia’s panda facilities.
In a Facebook post recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stressed that the welfare of the three elephants must be prioritised by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Ministry.
Anwar said any decision and action must be carried out based on facts while taking into account the best welfare of the elephants.
Perak local government committee chairman Sandrea Ng, however, had said after meeting Anwar recently, that the three elephants are expected to remain there despite public pressure for their return.
She had said there was a need to ensure good diplomatic relations by respecting the commitments and agreements that had been inked regarding the elephants.
