Malaysian Friends of the Animals is appalled with the Sabah government’s proposal for a new zoo near Kota Kinabalu, as announced recently by state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun.

Currently there are a handful of zoos in Sabah at least, all of which are rundown and in a shambolic state. Late last year the Sabah Wildlife Department was forced to close the alleged worst zoo in Malaysia, the Tawau Zoo, only after it was exposed by another NGO and British media.

In the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park (it’s a zoo, not a park) many animals are in need of better treatment including the elephants, orangutans and sun bears. Instead of improving the current state of welfare at Lok Kawi zoo, helping animals in other zoos and shutting them down the Sabah government wants to spend tens of millions on a new zoo. It is obvious the government isn’t concerned about animals. So what hope will the animals in the new zoo have?

Many zoos government or private-owned claim zoos exist to help preserve endangered animals and they play a big role in conservation. This is just a facade to exploit animals for profit, dooming them to a lifetime of stressful captive conditions. Zoos are all about making profits at the expense of animals. Some zoos claim to have introduced endangered animals into the wild through captive breeding. But do we need to imprison animals to help those in the wild?

And how much of a zoo's profits is put into conservation of animals in the wild? In 2011 it was revealed that less than five percent of the total income of zoos in the USA went to local conservation efforts. Never mind Malaysia. Moreover, protecting and increasing wild animal population is the responsibility of governments, not zoos.

Sabah is blessed with an abundance of iconic wild animals such as the orangutan, sun bear and Borneo pygmy elephant. Why would wild animals in Sabah (and other imported animals) need to be punished with captivity when focus should be on protecting their ever dwindling habitat? Isn't protecting forests in Sabah to secure the future of its wildlife the real conservation question here?

It is plain to see the Sabah government is allegedly only interested in making money through exploiting its wildlife and this is shameful and embarrassing.

The tourism focus in Sabah should of investments in ethical wildlife viewing through ecotourism. This also helps the local economy. There is big potential in Sabah in expanding its ecotourism activities but it is plain to see the Sabah government is allegedly only interested in making quick money through zoos and exploitation of orangutans at the Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation centre through damaging tourism.

Malaysian Friends of the Animals strongly opposes the proposal of the new zoo by the Sabah government and it should be cancelled.

JENNIFER YEAP is with Malaysian Friends of the Animals.