(MY) Petition to stop animal testing facility in Malaysia

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Please support the international campaign to stop the construction of an animal

testing laboratory in Malaysia by Vivo Biotech, the Indian contract testing

facility. Sign the petition (go to the weblink below) and circulate it widely.

 

For background information, please go to:

 

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/32184-animaltesting-centre-be-set-malaysia

 

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/34684-animal-groups-protest-over-planned-animal-\

test-lab

 

Thank you on behalf of

BUAV

ECEAE

Friends of the Earth Malaysia

SPCA Selangor

 

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http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/StopPlansForAnimalTestingMalaysia

 

Target:

To the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Chief Minister of Malacca

 

Sponsored by:

SPCA Selangor, Friends of The Earth Malaysia, British Union For The Abolition of

Vivisection (BUAV), European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE)

 

We, the undersigned, urgently request that you take the necessary steps to halt

the proposal to construct an animal testing facility in Malacca, Malaysia by the

Malaysian government-owned Melaka Biotech and Vivo BioTech, an Indian contract

testing company.

 

Malaysia currently has no specific legislation governing the use of animals in

research. This would be detrimental to the issue of animal welfare as the

proposed laboratory will be designed to house nonhuman primates, dogs and small

animals. Vivo Biotech's website lists it as a company that carries out extensive

animal research, including toxicity testing, on a variety of species for a

number of purposes, amongst which is its controversial use for cosmetic

products.

 

It has also been reported that primates could be sourced locally in Malaysia.

This move will be at direct variance to the Malaysian government's stand in

re-instating the ban on the export of primates for research in 2008. Needless to

say, the setting up of the animal laboratory in Malacca can only result in

immense suffering, misery and death being inflicted on thousands of animals,

aside from potentially facilitating the trade in wild-caught primates within

Malaysia.

 

Hence, we oppose the construction of this facility both for ethical reasons and

for the lack of scientific validity in extrapolating data obtained from animal

testing to humans. Instead, a progressive society would explore the wide range

of non-animal techniques that, as well as being a more humane approach in

gaining scientific knowledge, can also prove to be cheaper, quicker and more

effective.

 

We earnestly urge you to act in all expediency to quash this proposal as

allowing the facility to materialize will not only result in the needless

suffering and death of thousands of animals every year, but will also

undoubtedly have a negative and detrimental impact on Malaysia's image

worldwide.