Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
From Our Readers

Abdul Rasid Samsudin,

Director-General

Department of Wildlife and National Parks

Peninsular Malaysia

Dear Abdul Rasid Samsudin,

I would like to invite you to click on this link and ask yourself, ‘how do I feel about such cruelty?’ – some would call it genocide - about 3000 orangutan slaughtered every year, many like this.

The Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks, by allowing the trade in all wildlife to continue, even condoning it, is as guilty as the people who killed this female orangutan - and many others like her.

As you will know, many illegally caught and traded orangutans have either ended up in, or been transited through Malaysia.

Every single one of them will have been clinging to its mother’s breast when she was either shot, slashed to death with a machete, or, as in the case, beaten to death with an iron bar; can you imagine this? I hope so, because Perhilitan are part of this problem.

One year on and still no prosecution over this case . Their mothers would have been slain in a similar, painful way.

In 2006, no one was ever prosecuted for those illegal orangutans found in their possession, leaving people to wonder why, and is it because of corruption in Perhilitan – which, rightly or wrongly, is a very commonly held belief.

It would appear the department has lost all trust and respect from NGOs and an increasingly vociferous public.

There is also a move now to seek Cites sanctions against Malaysia, something together with colleagues in other countries, I will enthusiastically encourage and support. Besides the difficulties this will bring to your country’s lucrative trade in wildlife, it will attract more attention and shame on Malaysia - deservedly so.

I quote from the first linked (not my) report; ‘The people that committed this ghastly crime should hang their heads in shame for causing such terrible suffering to a creature that is man's closest relative. Such cruelty is beyond belief.’

I would say much the same thing about the treatment of orangutans in Malaysian zoos and wildlife parks.

The writer is president, NatureAlert .

ADS