PUTRAJAYA: Several lawyers and activists have urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate alleged irregularities surrounding the transfer of three elephants from Malaysia to Japan.
The group claimed there were inconsistencies involving the elephants’ classification, approval process and handling of funds allegedly linked to the transfer to Tennoji Zoo in Japan.
Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan alleged the elephants involved were wild elephants, which he said could not legally be exported overseas unlike captive elephants.
“We have documented proof that these are wild elephants,” he said outside the MACC headquarters yesterday.
Rajesh claimed there were discrepancies in records relating to the animals’ classification and transfer before they were sent to Japan.
According to Rajesh, questions remained over how the funds were handled and whether any wrongdoing had taken place.
He called for investigations into the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), alleging that the agency had approved the export of the elephants.
Rajesh also named former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad among those he believed should be investigated, together with several individuals involved in the approval process.
He urged both MACC and the police to conduct a thorough probe to determine whether corruption or abuse of power had occurred.
Another lawyer, Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal, said the report lodged with MACC explicitly questions the transaction’s transparency and financial trail.
“There are questions as to whether the elephants were transferred in a transparent manner and whether there was money involved,” he said.
Muda Selangor coordinator Abolqaz Anuar said there were numerous inconsistencies and unanswered questions surrounding the transfer.
Among the issues warranting investigation, he said, were discrepancies involving the elephants’ origins, the zoos involved in the transfer and questions over the classification of the animals.
The group, accompanied by representatives from Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka), were involved in a commotion at the MACC headquarters when they attempted to submit a memorandum and report over the alleged irregularities.
The situation arose after they were told that only two representatives were permitted to enter the premises, while the rest of the group was denied access.
Later, MACC strategic communications division director Senior Assistant Commissioner Hisyam Mohd Yusoff said the restriction was in accordance with Section 5 of the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959.
He said the MACC headquarters is classified as a protected place under the law and that entry is subject to established security procedures and regulations.
