By Zaki Salleh
TAIPING, May 9 — The Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) has come forward to clarify several allegations circulating on social media regarding the elephant conservation cooperation programme involving Zoo Taiping & Night Safari and Tennoji Zoo.
MPT president Mohamed Akmal Dahalan, in a statement, stressed that claims suggesting the programme carried commercial elements or involved certain payments were untrue.
According to him, the agreement was a ‘zoo to zoo’ collaboration between the two institutions without any buying, selling, or financial profit involved.
He said the use of the term B2B or ‘Business to Business’ was inaccurate and contradicted the true spirit of the conservation programme.
He added that the international cooperation programme was implemented in line with the Malaysian Zoo Standard Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability.
He said the entire process also complied with the conditions and provisions under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).
MPT, Zoo Taiping & Night Safari, and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, previously visited Osaka in October 2022 to assess the suitability of the facilities and the improvements required for the programme.
He said all related documentation, including the special permit to keep elephants and export applications, had received approval from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and the ministry before the transfer was carried out.
According to him, Tennoji Zoo had also been provided with written briefings on the minimum requirements for elephant care and exhibition under Act 716.
MPT also stressed that animal welfare and well-being remained a priority throughout the implementation of the conservation programme.
He said Zoo Taiping & Night Safari would continue to liaise with the zoo authorities in Japan and relevant agencies to ensure animal care standards were consistently observed.
At the same time, MPT expressed its readiness to provide full cooperation to any authorities, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, should there be any need for further review or investigation into the programme.
