Wildlife diplomacy must never come at the expense of animal welfare – BN Youth

SHAH ALAM – Growing concerns over the condition of Malaysian elephants abroad have prompted Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth to call for stronger safeguards, warning that wildlife diplomacy must not override the responsibility to ensure animal welfare and accountability.

BN Youth communications director Neow Choo Seong said reports circulating on social media regarding the condition of the animals should not be dismissed lightly.

He said the well-being of wildlife, especially the iconic elephant species was not something that can simply be ignored.

“If there is credible evidence that the elephants are experiencing stress due to living conditions and declining health, then I think it reflects that somewhere along the chain of responsibilities, something is not right.

“So I think we, as a country, have a duty of care even after these animals are sent abroad.

“We cannot just simply send and forget; there must be continuous monitoring, transparency and accountability,” he said in an interview with Sinar Daily.

Neow stressed that Malaysia’s current framework governing wildlife transfers may not be sufficient, particularly in safeguarding animals once they leave the country.

He added that the country should review or tighten the rules on sending wildlife overseas, as the current situation suggested that existing safeguards may not be adequate to fully protect them.

“We really need to look into it, especially at the federal government level, including the pre-transfer assessments, legally binding welfare guarantees, regular independent audits and especially post-transfer audits,” he added.

Photo: tennojizoo.jp

While he acknowledges the importance of wildlife diplomacy, he stressed that it must never come at the expense of animal welfare.

He also shared that a memorandum will be submitted to the Taiping Zoo, the local authority, as well as state and federal governments during a solidarity rally on May 9, amid what he described as conflicting statements from various authorities.

“We have seen countless statements from federal, state and local authorities and they have been contradicting.

“Therefore, we are making an urgent call to send a clear message through this memorandum, focusing on accountability, transparency and long-term improvements,” he said.

Among the key demands are an immediate independent welfare audit involving a joint Malaysia-Japan inspection with independent experts; the establishment of a special task force to oversee wildlife transfers; full transparency and public reporting of all welfare and transfer conditions; policy reform including a review of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2022; and a reparation mechanism allowing immediate return of animals if welfare standards are not met.

He also urged the government to ensure that national policies are aligned with international commitments, especially under frameworks such as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), which emphasises the regulation of wildlife movement.

Calling for public solidarity, Neow, who is MCA youth information chief, urged Malaysians to support efforts to protect the elephants – Dara, Amoi and Kelat – and to attend a rally scheduled at Taiping Zoo Square on May 9.

He also encouraged the public to show solidarity by signing a petition and continuing to speak out.

“Our voice will be their hope. They cannot speak for themselves; they need us to speak for them,” he said.