Since denying it was complicit in attempting to have the case dropped against the Taiping Zoo the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) have done nothing to allay either public fear or perception.

Following a strong rumour circulating last week, neither NRE, DWNP or the Attorney General’s office have attempted to deny their offices want the case dropped for ‘political reasons.’

If the case was to be dropped one would imagine Anson Wong as well as the NGO community would be disappointed and angry.

Wong, because dropping the Taiping case might suggest the attorney-general applied double standards.

NGOS’s, because it would confirm their beliefs that both the NRE and Perhilitan have not changed their spots, only in a few cases – changed their desks; otherwise it is business as usual.

On the subject of Perhilitan and the Attorney-General’s Office; following last January’s National Geographic article, which referred to corruption within Perhilitan, they claim to have investigated themselves, found nothing untoward, but refuse to make the report available for public scrutiny.

How very convenient and very unconvincing. This is clearly disturbing, leaving people to wonder if a cover-up is being attempted.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) claims to have investigated Perhilitan and sent their report to the attorney-general, but he won’t confirm the report is now in his office. Why?

All of which, despite the voluminous denials from NRE and DWNP, tends to leave things open and to individual interpretation.

Until we see NRE and DWNP’s words turned into action, their jury remains out. And now there is also a question mark over MACC and the AG’s office. Who can be trusted?

  The author is the chief executive of Nature Alert