TAIPING: A 25-year agreement governing the relocation of three elephants from Malaysia to Japan has sparked concern, with critics likening the lengthy arrangement to a “life sentence” and questioning the welfare safeguards and transparency surrounding the deal.
The elephants – Dara, 14, Amoi, nine, and Kelat, 20, collectively known as DAK – are at the centre of growing calls for their return from Tennoji Zoo in Osaka to Malaysia over welfare concerns.
Speaking at a solidarity gathering for the elephants yesterday, Solidarity with DAK Secretariat coordinator Neow Choo Seong urged the Federal Government to establish a special task force to review the matter.
Neow, who is also MCA Youth information chief, compared the arrangement with Malaysia’s panda diplomacy programme with China, which operates on a five-year review basis.
“I was involved in the panda diplomacy project, where the agreement involved extensive negotiations between governments, including periodic reviews, welfare assessments and repatriation plans if conditions became harmful to the animals.
“In this elephant exchange programme, we have not heard of such mechanisms.
“If it involves Malaysia and Japan, it should be handled government-to-government, not between zoos or local authorities,” he told reporters after submitting a memorandum at the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) yesterday.
However, no MPT representatives were present to receive the memorandum, which was left with a security guard at the counter.
Neow also expressed concern over Kelat, saying the elephant would be 45 years old if the agreement runs its full course.
“Can he survive that long under such conditions? We are very concerned,” he said.
On Wednesday, MPT president Mohamed Akmal Dahalan said the elephants remain healthy and continue to receive proper care.
He said the animals had shown significant weight gain and were being closely monitored by zoo authorities.
Mohamed Akmal also said that the agreement between the two zoos, signed on May 19 and Oct 6, 2022, involved a 25-year relocation period.
Earlier at the gathering outside Taiping Zoo and Night Safari, Neow said the proposed task force should include independent elephant experts, zoologists and veterinarians to assess the animals’ physical and mental condition.
“The Prime Minister has the executive power to establish a special task force immediately.
“If conditions are found to be unsuitable, the government must have a repatriation plan to bring the elephants home,” he said, adding that diplomacy should not come at the expense of animal welfare.
Meanwhile, Projek Pulang representative Fuad Khalid questioned Tennoji Zoo’s facilities, claiming it had no successful elephant breeding record.
He also dismissed the weight gain claims as normal fluctuation and argued that the enclosure was too small compared with Malaysia’s panda facilities.
In a recent Facebook post, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stressed that the welfare of the three elephants must remain the priority of the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.
Anwar said any decision must be based on facts and the animals’ best interests.
However, Perak housing and local government committee chairman Sandrea Ng said after meeting Anwar recently that the elephants are expected to remain in Japan despite public pressure for their return.
She said Malaysia must respect the agreements already signed to preserve good diplomatic relations.
