Dog-catching competition - aNt's analysis

THE MADNESS is finally over.


















Common sense has prevailed.

Some people's pride took a serious dent.

But most importantly, stray dogs are free to roam in Selayang once more.

At least until minds are made up between the Government bodies and animal welfare groups on how best to solve the problem of stray canines.

According to residents associations (judging from media reports) the homeless canines in Selayang are purportedly being a nuisance in the neighbourhood and town. Animal NGOs handing over memorandum to MPS

Residents fear that these hapless animals may one day turn nasty and attack children. At least this is one of the "strongest arguments" the authorities float around for devising the cruel and outrageous dog-competition in the first place.

As I write this, there are concerns that the MPS blog is still carrying the competion advert in its homepage. Some groups like the Coalition of Animal-Lovers of Malaysia (CALM) which I must add contributed greatly in halting the MPS contest have expressed serious misgivings about this.


















However, I don't think that the MPS dares to back-track on its promise. To do so would be practically suicidal on their part. Imagine the kind of uproar such a thing would create among animal-lovers all over again!

To think that the MPS would cheat on them? No, I don't think so!

I think what is more likely is that the municipality has just not bothered to remove the offending ad from its website yet. Or maybe even that they are facing some technical glitch at the moment or that the-person-who-knows-how-to-do-it is simply not avaialable at the moment.

Not a surprising occurence in Government outfits.

As far as PETPOSITIVE is concerned, we are out of the discussions for now. As most of you know - or might not - CALM, ROAR, MARPO and PETPOSITIVE walked out of the meeting when the MPS refused to call off the competition first before anyone of us began a dialogue on the matter.

Our position was that there can be no dialogue on the competition as it was outrageous. We made it clear to the chairman of the meeting that we would only sit down to talk after the competition was scrapped.

We didn't want to be used by any quarters to twist the story around to our disadvantage and say that we endorsed the whole thing.

And to make matters worse, the other side was so hostile to us that it seemed pointless that anyone there was really willing to listen with an open heart.

And because the Selangor SPCA decided not to walk out with us (for reasons better known to themselves) it is officially the only NGO in discussion with the MPS.

And although the SPCA had invited PETPOSITIVE to join them in future meetings, we have decided to stay out for now and observe the developments from afar.

After all, the SPCA has far better experience dealing with strays that our Society.

On our part, though, we have formally requested the SPCA to bring up two major concerns involving our disabled and elderly members:

1. Request that dog licenses be given free-of-charge for the disabled and elderly in view of the fact that pets play a therapeutic role in their lives.


2. Microchipping, spaying costs be fully borne by the Council for its disabled and elderly residents.

The President of SPCA, Ms Christine Chin has given us her word that she would bring this up in her deliberations with the MPS.

Finally, I want to point out one more thing.

There appears to be a debate going on currently among some quarters as to which NGO or even individuals got the MPS to finally buckle in and abort its dog-catching contest.

My answer to that question would be it was ultimately the protests from the public that brought about the victory for the Selayang strays situation. Thanks to all of you dog-lovers out there who wrote in your letters of protest to the newspapers. You did it!

A special mention also goes out to CALM which held a demonstration on the Sunday before the contest was called off on Friday. That event brought about unprecedented coverage in the media on the next day. This was followed by the memorandum handover to the MPS by ROAR, SPCA, CALM, MARPO and PETPOSITIVE on Tuesday.

I also think that Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Khir Toyo also had a big hand in bringing on the collapse of the competition. By him publically declaring that he was upset with the prize money, I think that the MPS had no choice but to call it all off at its meeting on Friday.

That to me was a face-saving measure for the council than anything else.

By Anthony Siva Balan Thansayan

End of the controversy

Pictures: Petpositive at the demo at MPS three days before the meeting demanding an end of the dog-catching competition.

Focus
Thursday September 20, 2007


Laudable move

Wheel Power: By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Animal lovers everywhere were relieved when the Selayang Municipal Council called off its dogcatching competition due to pressure from the public.

WHAT a sweet victory it was last Friday for animal-loving Malaysians everywhere. The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), which had been headstrong for the past couple of weeks about its controversial dog-catching competition, finally relented to the public call for the contest to be aborted.

Members of the public were particularly unhappy that attractive cash prizes were being offered, instead of inculcating positive values about responsible animal ownership and love for animals.

The decision was reached at a meeting held at the MPS headquarters in Bandar Baru Selayang, Selangor. The meeting was attended by representatives of five animal welfare and rights groups. The NGOs were joined by the various representatives of local residents in Selayang, as well as MPS council officials.

The animal rights groups present were the Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Rights and Welfare Society (Roar), the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo), and the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

Also present was another ad hoc group called the Coalition of Animal Lovers of Malaysia (Calm). Formed immediately after the MPS dog-catching contest, Calm was there to oppose the competition.

As president of Petpositive, I was the only representative in wheelchair among 40 others invited to the meeting.

The moment I arrived at the venue, I was confronted with a set of obstacles, which I had to overcome, before getting into the meeting room. Although there were at least two parking lots for disabled drivers, there was no one whom I could ask for assistance. Some of the officers who passed by did not even bother to ask if I needed help.

There was no way they would not have known I was a disabled person, unless they were blind themselves. Not only is my car plastered with disabled stickers all over, but I was parked in the MPS disabled lot. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to wait long. I was soon joined by my animal rights activist chums who got my wheelchair out of the car and helped me into it in no time.

The meeting was held on the first floor, and I had to be carried up two flights of steps that were steep and dangerous to attend it.

What I couldn’t understand was why the meeting was not held in the wheelchair-friendly newer building which was only a stone’s throw away. After all, it was plain as day that Petpositive had the words “disabled” and “elderly” in it. Or is it because people today still view the world in terms of stereotypes? And that disabled people are only seen in handicapped homes, hospitals or hospices, instead of in offices, shopping centres and the meeting rooms of local council buildings?

Just when I thought I would be locked out of the meeting room, a couple of my animal rights friends did a wonderful thing. N. Surendran, from Roar, and Natasha Fernz, from Calm, went upstairs to the meeting room and argued my case until, lo and behold, the venue was moved to the wheelchair-accessible building next door so that I could attend!

Later, I heard that one or two of the invited guests were peeved with me for making them switch venues. They even remarked that I was being too demanding and that I was expecting the world to treat me “special” because of my handicap. However, the morning ended on an extraordinary note. I left the premises with the good news that stray dogs in Selayang would be treated with respect from now on.

I have learnt a lesson from my animal activist friends, too. Sometimes in life, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. It’s called: Standing up for yourself.

Copyright © 1995-2007 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Managed by I.Star.

Malay Mail on the assault of animal lovers

Monday, September 17 2007

Hit repeatedly for recording proceedings
By MARIAM THANY




ANIMAL lover Lim Ann Nee (left), who was among those who attended a meeting with Selayang Municipal Council on the dog-catching competition at the council’s offi ce last Friday, claims that a council representative knocked her on the head repeatedly with a book.
She claims that the alleged attack happened outside the MPS building when a man caught her fi lming with her camcorder.

“I was not aware that a man was staring at me. He shouted: ‘Apa you tangkap?’ (What are you recording?) “I switched off my camcorder but when he started to walk towards me, I knew something bad was going to happen and quickly switched it back on to record everything.” She claimed that her alleged assailant used a booklet he was holding and hit her for almost 10 minutes.

“Before he left, he shouted ‘Awak stupid!’ (You’re an idiot) and ‘Semua sini pergi mampus!’ (All of you can go ahead and die!),” said Lim.

Lim lodged a report at the Sentul police station the same day.“A SELAYANG Municipal Council representative knocked me on the head with a book,” claimed animal lover Lim Ann Nee, who was among those who attended a meeting with the council on the dog-catching competition at its offi ce, last Friday.

The meeting was attended by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Malaysian Animal Assisted Therapy Association (PetPositve), Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Society (Roar), Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo) and the Coalition of Animal Lovers Malaysia (Calm).

“I was standing outside the MPS building with other animal lovers, waiting for the meeting to be over.

“When PetPositive representatives Anthony Thanasayan and Roar president N.

Surendran (Surin) came out from the conference, we were surprised and started to speculate as to what could have happened.

“I started to film what was happening with my camcorder, including the directors leaving the office,” she said.

“I was not aware that a man was staring at me. He shouted ‘Apa you tangkap?’ (What are you recording?) “I switched off my camcorder but when he started to walk towards me, I knew something bad was going to happen and quickly switched it back on to record everything.

“The man realised that I was recording him, and he hit my camcorder.” She claimed that her alleged assailant used a booklet he was holding and hit her for almost 10 minutes.

“He wanted to hit my head but failed because I was leaning and moving back to protect myself.

“Before he left, he shouted at me ‘Awak stupid and semua sini pergi mampus’ (You’re an idiot and all of you can go ahead and die),” said Lim.

Lim lodged a report at the Sentul police station the same day.

The Malay Mail contacted MPS president Zainal Abidin Azim on the matter, but he refused to comment.

“Since it’s already a police case, I leave it to them to investigate,” he said.

Zainal also denied knowing the alleged assailant and why he was at the meeting.

Calm representative Natasha Fernz, when contacted, said she witnessed the incident.

She also claimed that the man had also disrupted the meeting when they (the NGOs) complained that the meeting room, located on the second floor of MPS’s old building, was not conducive for Thanasayan, who is wheelchair bound.

They requested that the venue be changed to another room in MPS’s new building, which was better-equipped with facilities for the disabled.

She claimed that when the request was made, Lim’s alleged assailant and several other council representatives made snide remarks.

Natasha said after they moved to the new meeting room, they asked the council if the dog-catching competition would be cancelled.

She said that when State Assemblyman Datuk Tang See Hang replied that the competition would not be cancelled, all the NGOs except for representative from the SPCA, decided to walk out.

“Some of the MPS representatives started to shout at us, asking us to sit down. This was when Lim’s alleged attacker tried to stop Thanasayan from leaving, but he was held back by several people.

He even threatened to hit Thanasayan,” claimed Natasha.

She added that the incident continued outside when she saw the man hitting Lim.

She said Thanasayan and Surin had also lodged a police report on the incident.

Copyright © 2007 The Malay Mail Online. All rights reserved.

StarMetro MPS Scraps Contest

M E T R O Saturday September 15, 2007


MPS scraps contest

By STUART MICHAEL

stuartmichaelstar@gmail.com

The meeting between Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) and animal rights groups yesterday has brought the controversy pertaining to the controversial Dog-catching Comp-etition to an end.

A consensus was reached yesterday with MPS cancelling the competition and agreeing to work with Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and other animal rights groups to deal with the stray dog problems in the municipality.

The meeting, held at the MPS building, was attended by state exco member Datuk Tang See Hang and council president Zainal Abidin Azim who met some 30 representatives from SPCA, Malaysian Animals Rights and Welfare Society, Pet-positive and other animal rights groups.


Fruitful meeting: Tang explaining the decision during the meeting.
As Tang and Zainal entered the conference room on the ninth floor of the MPS building, there were people waiting outside the building holding placards wanting the dog-catching competition stopped.

As Tang was seated at the conference room on the ninth floor, SPCA representative N. Suren-dran, who is also Malaysian Animals Rights and Welfare Society (Roar) pro-tem committee president, demanded that the dog-catching competition be scrapped.

Tang asked him to calm down and said the issue had to be discussed rationally.

Surendran together with Petpositive president Anthony Thanasayan and Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership president Dr John Satyamoorthy then left in a huff.

Tang and Zainal then listened to the views, comments and explanations from SPCA chairperson Christine Chin who acted as the spokesperson for the group.

After about one hour of discussions, Tang announced that the competition would be cancelled.

As soon as Tang announced this, representatives of animal rights organisations, including Chin, clapped while there were many smiles around the conference room.


For the animals: Surendran (right) and others protesting outside the MPS building.
Chin explained the influx of stray dogs was due to the people who abandoned them and not the dogs.

“Dog will breed as usual in the wild and we are not asking for a stop to dog catching but it must be done in a humane way.

“Pet owners should be responsible for their actions and be given hefty fines for abandoning pets.

“We should also educate children and residents not to leave their dogs but spay them to help curb this problem,” said Chin.

Tang also said he is looking at implementing microchips in dogs to track them down and identify the owners should the dog be caught roaming.

Copyright © 1995-2007 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Managed by I.Star.

Petpositive attacked

Saturday, September 15, 2007, 09.31 PM

NST Online » Local News
2007/09/15

Dog-catching contest called off
By : Azira Shaharuddin


KUALA LUMPUR: The Selayang Municipal Council’s controversial dog-catching competition targeting strays was called off yesterday but not before an exchange of invectives between those who wanted it and those who were against.

Finally, the "nays" had their way.

They comprised the Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Society (Roar), Malaysia Animal-assisted Therapy Association (Petpositive) and Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo).

Selangor executive councillor Datuk Tang See Hang made the decision after listening to officials of the council and the Department of Veterinary Services and the SPCA at a meeting at Menara MPS.

However, the catching of stray dogs will continue.

The meeting started on an antagonistic note, with both the Selayang Municipal Council members and representatives of the associations shouting at one another.

Those from the associations wanted the competition to be called off immediately.

But when they learnt that the meeting was held to hear their views, some of them decided to leave.

These included Petpositive president Anthony Thanasayan, who is wheelchair bound, and Roar president N. Surendran.

As they got up, shouts of kurang ajar were heard, and a man, identified as Rasheed Sultan Afshur, confronted them. A shouting match ensued.

"He came rushing at us as if to hit us. Some people stopped him," Surendran told reporters.

As they were walking out, someone called out "gangster".

After some time, calm was restored, and the meeting resumed with the council officials, four representatives of the SPCA and a representative of Petpositive.

Surendran and Thanasayan lodged a report at the Sentul police station.

Tang said the council would continue to catch stray dogs with help from the SPCA.

He outlined five measures in the fight against stray dogs, including having 10 to 20 volunteers from each residents’ association in the Selayang area to catch strays.

Dog owners will also be taught to be more responsible, and heavier penalties will be considered for those who abandon their pets.

Tang said the council also planned to set up a spay-neuter clinic for pets.
Copyright © 2007 NST Online. All rights reserved.

Letters Malaysiakini: MPS on rabid witch hunt

Rabid witch-hunt against strays shocking
Anthony Thanasayan
Sep 13, 07 1:50pm Adjust font size:

I refer to the malaysiakini report Protest held over MPS' dog-hunt. Have we lost our marbles? How utterly disgraceful it was to read about the Selayang Municipal Council’s dog- catching competition which has been opened to residents in the area to participate with attractive sums as high as RM15,000 as prizes for the winners.


And if that wasn’t egregious enough, what a shock it was to see an elected assemblyman throwing his support behind such an insane cause by having a photo of him in a local newspaper smiling as he ‘catches’ a cardboard mock-up of a stray dog.

One minute, we seem to be doing the most noble thing by bestowing historic medals on disc- sniffing dogs such as Lucky and Flo recently. And the next, we’re all out in a rabid witch-hunt against stray animals instead of responding to them in a calculated, matured, responsible and loving manner.

The MPS should be putting the competition money to better use such as to educate residents about how to be more responsible and caring for pets and animals in order to prevent them from ending up as strays.

There are also enough animal-welfare organisations for them to consult and work together with instead of coming up with ridiculous measures to address the stray problem.

What kind of values and lessons are we teaching our children by such ruthless competitions other than to say that animals do not deserve any respect and that we as human beings have the supreme authority to do whatever we please with them with money as the only object and criteria?

Our local councils should respect all dogs whether they are pedigrees or strays on the streets. They should come up with laws that are not only kind and fair to pets and their owners and instead of ludicrous dog-catching competitions, come up with local awards for dogs and their owners who make good examples as human and animal citizens of our society.

Special awards and financial assistance (such as the competition’s money) should be given by local councils to the many Malaysians who volunteer their time, money and even their lives to rescue unwanted, distressed and ‘wild’ dogs from the streets and to place them in loving and permanent homes.

The writer is president, Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (PetPositive).


Copyright © 1999-2007 Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved.

NST on Dr Toyo's remarks

Thursday, September 13, 2007, 09.20 PM
NST Online » Local News
2007/09/13

MB: Review dog-catching competition
By : V. Shankar Ganesh

SHAH ALAM: The state government has ordered the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) to take another look at its controversial dog-catching competition.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said the reward amount was unreasonable and too high.

He said efforts to reduce the number of stray dogs in Selayang was the common responsibility of the residents and the local authority.

"We understand that MPS organised the competition in good faith as it hoped to attract the locals’ attention in solving the stray dogs problem.

"However, the prize money is too high and we want them to take another look at the competition."

He said this to the press after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting here yesterday.

He was responding to questions raised on the issue following calls from various quarters to scrap the competition as it could lead to cruelty in catching the dogs and also theft of dogs from homes.

The competition rules state that residents’ associations would be given RM20 for each stray brought in.

Winners will be picked every six months. To qualify for the three top prizes of RM15,000, RM13,000 and RM11,000, more than 150 dogs must be caught within that period.

The residents’ association that catches the most strays would get a consolation prize of RM2,000 if the target of 150 dogs was not met.

MPS came under heavy fire from various quarters for organising the competition.


Copyright © 2007 NST Online. All rights reserved.

animal groups protest at mps

M E T R O Central
Wednesday September 12, 2007


Animal rights groups protest against dog catching competition

By STUART MICHAEL and GERALDINE JEREMIAH
Photo by STUART MICHAEL

About 50 people comprising representatives from various animal rights organisations and animal lovers went to the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) in Bandar Baru Selayang on Monday to pass a memorandum to its president Zainal Abidin Azim. The memorandum called for an immediate end to the dog-catching competition organised by the council.

Holding placards that condemned cruelty to animals, the group led by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) chairperson Christine Chin, waited for Zainal to accept the memorandum but since he was on leave, MPS public relations officer Helda Syima Abu Talab accepted it on his behalf.

Upon receiving the memorandum, Helda assured the group that it would be handed over to Zainal and a meeting would be arranged soon with SPCA.


Stop this cruelty: Representatives from various animal rights group and animal lovers waiting outside the MPS building.
Despite it being a peaceful gathering, some outsiders were seen shouting insults at the group in order to provoke them, but after delivering the memorandum, the group dispersed quietly.

Chin said that apart from requesting for an end to the competition, the memorandum also contained request for highly effective spaying or neuter initiatives and fines against irresponsible pet owners who abandon their pets.

“We also want an implementation of a smart, humane and effective legislation to promote responsible pet ownership,'' she said.

Apart from Chin, the memorandum was also signed by Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Association president N. Surendran, Petpositive president Anthony Thanasayan and Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership president Dr John Satyamoorthy, who were also present at the gathering.

Asked about Rawang assemblyman Datuk Tang See Hang's proposed meeting with SPCA, Chin said that she had not received any letter or call from Tang's office about the meeting.

Dog handler and professional groomer Noraini Rozaiti Mahamud, 35, when questioned on the issue of the strays posing a threat to residents said that dogs reacted aggressively only when they were threatened and dogs were not likely to attack unprovoked.

“This competition would inherently attract over-zealous residents without experience in handling dogs. This could result in someone getting injured and the dogs being blamed and crucified for attacking a person,'' she said.

Retired Selayang Hospital head nurse Kamala Chelliah, 57 said that she read about the Dog Catching Competition in the papers and turned up to show her dissatisfaction.

Kamala felt that the authorities could come up with a better solution to address this matter.

From StarMetro Mail:
Stop this disgusting contest!
There are humane ways to control strays

Copyright © 1995-2007 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Managed by I.Star.

MPS protest on Malaysiakini

Protest held over MPS' dog-hunt
Andrew Ong
Sep 11, 07 2:32pm Adjust font size:

Some 50 animal lovers staged a peaceful protest outside the Selayang Municipal Council headquarters today against an ongoing stray dog catching competition.

The protest followed widespread criticism against MPS which is offering up to RM11,000 as a grand prize every six months to resident committees which nab the most number of stray dogs.

Led by four NGOs, the protestors chanted “Stop the hunt” and “Stop the cruelty” while holding placards condemning the competition.

Later, they handed over a protest memorandum and some 2,000 signatures condemning the competition to a representative of MPS president Zainal Abidin Azim.

The public relations officer who accepted the memorandum on Zainal’s behalf said the matter would be discussed in the near future but declined to offer further comment.

Speaking to reporters later, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) chairperson Christine Chin said untrained civilians are unable to deal with strays and the competition instills wrong values in the public.

“Local authorities have the resources to deal with strays. This competition is not the way to do it,” she said, adding that local authorities should instead impose fines on irresponsible pet owners and encourage spaying of pets.

'Pro opposition'

In their memorandum, the groups said that spaying of pets has proven to be an effective method in controlling stray animal population.

The groups also called for stiff penalties against those who dump their pets. They cite Singapore as an example where pet abandonment is an offence punishable by a one-year imprisonment and a S$10,000 fine.

The memorandum was initiated by the SPCA and endorsed by the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo), Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) and the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Association (Roar).

The press conference by the four NGOs was later punctuated by heckling from an unidentified individual (left) who was seen mingling with MPS enforcement officers.

The heckler loudly accused the groups present of being “opposition supporters” and that they were inconsiderate to victims of stray dog attacks.

Several protestors responded in anger towards the heckler but were held back by other protestors.





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Monkey Business 2

Focus
Tuesday September 11, 2007


Making a quick buck

THE problem posed by “urban” monkeys highlights the lack of a management plan, and this has allowed the problem to deteriorate over the last 20 years.

The genus Macaca shares the same problem throughout its range state – one that is created by man.


The lucky ones: Wildlife and National Parks Department deputy director Celescoriano Razond pointing to monkeys that were recently rescued from an orchard in Pontian, Johor.
“The macaque is under threat due to human encroachment upon its habitat. In countries other than Malaysia, efforts are being made, from documenting the extent of the problem to proposing and testing ways in which to minimise it.

“Many people are coming into contact with macaques for the first time and need to be educated on the proper ways to minimise interaction,” wrote Dr Ardith Eudey of the World Conservation Union’s Action Plan for Asian Primates.

Eudey said Hong Kong and Singapore have embarked on positive educational and control programmes. Malaysia, he added, has the economic resources to initiate a constructive programme rather than resort to destructive actions.

He has invited Malaysia to participate in the next Congress of the International Primatological Society to be held in Edinburgh in August 2008, when the pest problem posed by macaques will be examined in detail.

Critics are not convinced that rounding up macaques in urban areas is a long-term solution as the fundamental problem of habitat loss would remain unresolved. Take the case of Barbados. Despite trapping and exporting 10,000 vervet monkeys for research over 14 years, crop raiding has not been reduced and the monkey population remains stable due to high breeding rates.

Some think it is a ruse to obtain wild specimens, which are preferred for research purposes. Eudey pointed out that “urban” monkeys are not desirable as they have been in contact with humans.

“A country such as the United States wants clean monkeys, meaning captivebred, for research purposes,” he said. Former Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director-general Mohd Khan Momin Khan said it was a misconception that there was a demand for macaques caught from urban areas.

“Urban monkeys are known to have tuberculosis and assorted intestinal diseases.

They do not make good test subjects and are not appealing to exotic food importers. Eventually, senseless poaching of wild monkeys will ensue to fill the demands of importers,” he warned.

Mohd Khan, who helmed Perhilitan between 1972 and 1992 and was instrumental in getting the 1984 trade ban, said the decision to legalise export has undermined the hard work of primate conservation groups.

“India and Bangladesh are maintaining the ban. Only the Philippines and Indonesia are exporting captive-born monkeys following strict international guidelines. Malaysia will be the only country to drop out of this international pact and become a monkey exporter,” he said.

Exploitation of wild population

A source said with a price tag of RM250 per macaque, indiscriminate hunting will rule. He claimed that Perhilitan had never embarked on a thorough sterilisation programme.

As a short-term measure, he suggested a combination of culling and sterilisation to contain the problem in high conflict areas.

Although Perhilitan is drafting guidelines on the capture and export of the longtailed macaque, many doubt that it will have sufficient resources to monitor the hunt.

Conservationists and animal rights activist prefer culling to reduce the number of long-tailed macaques, saying it was a more humane solution than trading the monkeys for use as food or medical testing.

They fear that profit may motivate the decision to allow export of the animal.

“The very fact that the Malaysian government has ruled out culling suggests that there may be financial motivation involved.

It also looks like the government is attempting to create an export market,” said Eudey.

Mohd Khan questioned the assertion by the authorities that “it is better to export than to cull”.

“Better for whom?” he asked. “Follow the money trail and trace who the benefactors are.”

Last week, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid candidly told participants at a climate change workshop that he had been approached by “some bright people who saw that money could be made from exporting monkeys”.

Sources said the proposal to export monkeys came up prior to the retirement of Perhilitan director-general, Datuk Musa Nordin, last October. In a telephone interview, Musa said he was “indirectly involved” in the trade but declined to comment when asked if he had teamed up with a wildlife trader.

When pressed further, he said: “Go talk to Perhilitan. They’re the one making the policy. I’ve retired.”

Sources reveal that at least one company has submitted a business plan to the ministry proposing an export volume of between 12,000 and 20,000 monkeys per year. Each shipment will carry between 2,000 and 2,500 specimens.

The business plan lists the likely buyers as two laboratories and one breeding centre in China. One of the laboratories is Kunming Primate Research Centre, which is affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The centre was set up in 2005 as a research base for experiments against infectious diseases and bio-terrorism. – By Hilary Chiew and S.S. Yoga

Copyright © 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Managed by I.Star.

Monkey Business

Focus
Tuesday September 11, 2007


Monkey business

By HILARY CHIEW

Animal rights groups object to the trade in longtailed macaques for fear that a cruel fate awaits the monkeys in testing facilities.

IN 1984, the government banned the export of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) amidst international outcry against the abuse of the monkeys in bio-medical and military laboratories in the United States.

An international syndicate was capturing and smuggling the monkeys primarily for US scientific testing needs. More than 300,000 long-tailed macaques from Peninsular Malaysia were exported over 25 years from 1959, until the ban was instituted.


Scavenger: A monkey going through garbage in search of food. Urban monkeys are regarded as pests by some.
Now, it looks like the safeguard for the protected species has been overturned. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid announced on Aug 17 that the Cabinet had, on June 27, decided to allow the export of long-tailed macaques captured from urban areas.

Azmi cited macaque attacks on humans and the failure of relocation and sterilisation programmes as reasons for lifting the trade ban on macaques in urban areas. He ruled out culling because “it is cruel to shoot them”.

He said the public must not get emotional over the issue and challenged animal rights groups to come up with suggestions to the long-standing human-macaque conflict.

The SPCA Selangor, Malaysian Animal Assisted Therapy for Disabled Association, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership have grouped under an umbrella body called the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Society (Roar), and submitted a memorandum to the minister demanding the reinstatement of the ban and a halt on all pending macaque shipments. They also lodged a police report against Azmi and ministry officials for violating Section 92(f) of the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972.

Referring to the insufferable fate that macaques undergo at animal-testing facilities overseas, they said ministry officials were themselves committing cruelty against wildlife. Roar conceded that if there was a serious macaque over-population problem, sterilisation and humane culling were better options.

Malaysians got a foretaste of the sickly nature of the trade when over 1,000 longtailed macaques bound for export were uncovered in a horrifying state in an orchard in Pontian, Johor, early July.

About 100 rotting carcasses were found by wildlife officers. Three locals and an Indonesian were arrested, and Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) is still investigating the case. Surviving animals were released into jungles.

Biological warfare

The International Primate Protection League (IPPL) has long documented the cruelty in the use of non-human primates in scientific experiments. It found wasteful experimentation, incompetence and neglect of monkeys used for tests between 1979 and 1981, in the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

IPPL’s campaigns have led to halts in macaque trade in several countries. IPPL chairperson Dr Shirley McGreal said the Malaysian ban was preceded by Thailand in 1975, India in 1977 and Bangladesh in 1979.

Recently, IPPL was alerted to the renewed use of non-human primates for tests, this time in Chinese laboratories. Long-tailed macaques are being massively traded in China and most of the creatures originate from Cambodia and Vietnam.

US Fish and Wildlife Services statistics reveal that 26,638 primates were imported last year, a 44% increase over the 2004 figures of 18,534. Topping the list were long-tailed macaques (24,480).


Good till the last drop: A monkey enjoying a discarded canned drink.
“The trade escalated in 2006 when 2,532 monkeys, purportedly bred in Cambodia, reached the US. ‘IPPL has received reports on alleged unsatisfactory conditions at these facilities and suspicions that wild-caught monkeys are being exported on fake ‘captive-born’ documents,” said McGreal.

There is concern that the present trade is to facilitate bio-weapon experiments. Fresh funding for Fort Detrick is being channelled towards the use of non-human primates for exposure to the Ebola virus, ricin, anthrax and radio-frequency radiation, among others.

Being physiologically closest to humans, primates are ideal candidates for vaccine efficacy studies.

McGreal said Malaysians needed to know that indigenous monkeys from the country were likely to be sold to these labs.

“They will suffer horribly during the laboratory experiment. There is no way of conducting research humanely when dealing with biological warfare agents.”

As long-tailed macaque is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), Perhilitan has produced a non-detrimental finding (NDF) to show that the trade will not have a deleterious effect on the species’ survival.

According to the NDF, there are 258,406 macaques in urban areas and 483,747 at forest fringes.

Many people are suspicious of the exact numbers of the tally, which quite impossible to determine in the wildlife inventory. Population estimates normally appear as a range.

Some questioned the motive behind the NDF exercise because Malaysia has not produced any NDF for all the Appendix II species that it trades in, such as the monitor lizard and reticulated python. A wildlife trade observer said the NDF appears to be an exercise to facilitate the issuance of Cites export permits. He expects the findings to be challenged by the scientific and conservation communities.

It is learnt that the study was conducted between March and June. To get rid of the 179,120 monkeys purportedly found in high conflict zone in urban centres, a removal rate ranging from 20% to 90% over five years was suggested. A 90% extraction will see only 31 monkeys left in urban areas by the end of the plan.


Copyright © 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
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Memorandum on Monkeys

Don’t treat wildlife as ‘economic units’
N Surendran
Sep 5, 07 3:56pm Adjust font size:

Animal rights and welfare groups, political parties and the Malaysian public are deeply concerned over the decision of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to lift the ban on the trade of Malaysian long-tailed macaques.

The reasons given the by the ministry are that the export of macaques is necessary to control the macaque population and to prevent humane-macaque conflict. We find the above excuses completely unacceptable.


What evidence has the ministry produced proving that there is a serious overpopulation problem?


How is it possible that there is an overpopulation problem when in fact macaque habitats have been progressively destroyed due to indiscriminate development?


Why not use humane methods, if at all there is a real population problem, such as sterilisation or humane culling?


How does the ministry justify the extreme cruelty that we know macaques are subjected to during transport overseas?


How does the ministry justify the horrendous suffering that macaques will undergo at animal testing/research facilities overseas?


How does the ministry justify the cruel slaughter of these poor animals for the pot overseas?


How does the ministry justify the inevitable increase in the regional market, both legal and illegal, for exotic wild life as a result of the lifting of the ban?
In particular, who is to profit financially from the export of macaques and their torture and death? Which company or companies will profit from the trade and who are its owners?

Macaques are highly intelligent and social animals. The suffering they will undergo if they are captured and exported is simply unimaginable. Macaque mothers tend to their offspring like human mothers do. It is unethical and immoral to subject our macaques to the horrible process of capture, transportation, torture and death overseas. There is much evidence available of the regime of cruelty at animals testing labs and at restaurants.

Mass capture and export overseas is not the solution to any alleged overpopulation problem. The environment and its indigenous fauna must be managed with a long-term vision and with respect and compassion for wildlife. Wildlife cannot be treated as if they were economic units or merchandise for money-making.

No country can call itself civilised when it ill-treats its wildlife in so cruel a manner. We call upon Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Azmi Khalid to:

Immediately restore the ban on trade of macaques;


Halt all pending macaque shipments overseas;


Release all macaques currently in captivity and awaiting transportation;


Consult with animal welfare groups and experts to humanely respond to macaque problems.
The above letter is signed by the SPCA Selangor, the Malaysian Animal Assisted Theraphy for Disabled Association (PetPositive), PKR, the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Society (Roar) and the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo).


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Pet+ pressure reveals Monkey Ban still on

Nation
Wednesday September 5, 2007


Monkey export ban not lifted

By LOH FOON FONG

KUALA LUMPUR: The ban on the export of the long-tailed macaque has not been lifted, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid clarified.

“I did not use the word 'lift'. The media quoted me wrongly,” he told a press conference during the Malaysian Energy and Climate Change Dialogue yesterday.

Instead, he said, only monkeys in the cities would be caught and exported.

On Aug 18, Azmi was quoted as saying that the Cabinet had in June agreed to lift the ban on the export of the monkeys found in urban areas, as there were numerous complaints that the monkeys had stolen food and attacked people.

“The proposal to catch and export the monkeys was only to reduce their numbers in cities because they are causing problems,” he said, adding that the monkey population in Malaysia was more than 700,000, with 250,000 in urban areas.

“We don’t allow the monkeys from the jungle to be caught and exported,” he added.

Catching those in the cities and exporting them did not mean the export ban was lifted, he explained.

“We are only controlling the numbers in the cities. People can catch them and do what they want with them. If they want to export them, we allow it,” he said.

Asked whether licences had been issued to exporters of monkeys caught in the cities, Azmi said no. He said the Government had moved the monkeys to their natural habitat but they seldom survived because the monkeys there would kill them.

Efforts to sterilise these monkeys did not work because those not sterilised bred quickly, he added.

HILARY CHEW meanwhile reports that the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Society’s (Roar) president N. Surendransaid the minister’s explanation was highly confusing and misleading.

Roar is the umbrella body of local animal rights groups.

“Allowing urban monkeys to be hunted almost certainly will lead to trapping of monkeys in the jungle,” he said, adding that the group doubted the Wildlife Department would have enough resources to monitor the hunting or the capability to differentiate between urban and jungle monkeys.

Roar yesterday handed a memorandum to Azmi demanding that the minister reinstate the ban.

Copyright © 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Managed by I.Star.