Malaysian group calls for monkey export ban to be reinstalled

[Guest guest]

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/1/nation/18731261 & sec=nation

 

________________________

 

Saturday September 1, 2007

 

 

Reimpose export ban on macaque, urges animal rights groups

 

By HILARY CHIEW

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Animal rights groups have opposed

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk

Seri Azmi Khalid’s decision to lift the

23-year-old export ban on the long-tailed macaque.

 

The groups come under the umbrella body, the

Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare

 

Society (Roar). President N. Surendran said

lifting the ban was tantamount to condemning the

monkeys to an insufferable fate.

 

“It is shocking that the authorities themselves

are committing the offence. The minister is aware

that the monkeys are used as pets and for food and medical (testing) purposes.

 

“In the food trade, the monkeys have their

skulls pried open while alive, so diners can eat

their brains,” Surendran claimed.

 

Under Section 92(f) of the Wildlife Protection

Act 1972, anyone who “wilfully does or wilfully

omits to do anything which in any way causes any

unnecessary suffering, pain or discomfort to any

wild animal or wild bird” can be fined up to

RM5,000, or sentenced to up to three years in jail.

 

On Aug 17, Azmi announced that the ban had been

lifted, and now the group is demanding that the ban be reimposed.

 

Surendran also questioned the minister’s claim

that sterilisation efforts to control the macaque

population have failed, hence justifying the trading of this protected species.

 

“As far as we know, there has been no serious

sterilisation programme of the long-tailed

macaque. Even if it was true that some displaced

monkeys have attacked urbanites, exporting them is not the solution.”

 

Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty

Against Animals chairman Christine Chin called

for better management of the human-animal

conflict caused by man encroaching on the habitat of the macaques.

 

She also urged the authorities to look into

creating sanctuaries for wildlife to achieve sustainable development.

 

 

 

Dr. Shirley McGreal, Founder

International Primate Protection League

PO Box 766

Summerville, SC 29484, USA

Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988

E-mail - smcgreal, Web: www.ippl.org

 

" So long as life lasts, dashed hopes stand a

chance. We need only get over that current

feeling that says, 'Where there is life there

must be hopelessness.' We must ever answer the

question 'But what can I do?' with the

realization that restoring the Earth, making

things better, renews and heals us at the same time. "

­ David Brower