Saturday June 16, 2012
Sealed – deal on pandas
The following is a letter from the President of Malaysian Animal Welfare
A plea for the Pandas
FMT LETTER: From Shenaaz Khan, via e-mail
China’s much publicised loaning of two Giant pandas to Malaysia is
hardly an event to be received with rousing merriment. The exercise is
in equal measure preposterous and superfluous and is unworthy of festive
fireworks.
In an atmosphere of economic imbecility and political pandering, the
Malaysian government has come up with the kind of inane idea that
exemplifies its governing greatness. Their little reform agendas now
include Giant pandas. Under the greedy guise of conservation, two Giant
pandas are to bear the burden of bridging diplomatic ties between China
and Malaysia.
How this is to be achieved is beyond baffling. But it yet again
illustrates a blatant manifestation of Malaysia’s institutional pattern
of exploiting animals to serve selfish human interests. To assume
otherwise is grossly foolish.
Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Koh Tsu Koon has reportedly
said that China’s gesture in lending a pair of pandas shows that it
recognises Malaysia as a special country. Yes, Malaysia’s specialities
include licensing countless zoos to abuse animals for human fortunes.
Malaysian zoos have for years abused and neglected their animals with
complete legal immunity despite legislated codes of animal welfare
clearly not being adhered to. Their registry of crimes include drugging
tigers for photo taking sessions, forcing elephants to ride tricycles,
cramping orangutans into runty cages and trafficking totally protected
wildlife!
Zoos such as Taiping zoo, Danga Bay and A’Famosa, are fairly
representative examples of these atrocious zoos and are in clear
conflict of conservation. Nonetheless, the Malaysian government has
habitually dedicated itself to ignoring and facilitating animal abuse as
animal welfare and conservation have never been on the forefront of
their political consciousness.
Hence, it is incredulous to imagine Malaysia being chosen for a
conservation effort given its hideous track record. This whole panda
loaning scheme has also made apparent the very deep pockets of the
Malaysian government. While they feign financial frugality, they are
ever ready to take on the colossal technical and architectural tasks
necessary to house the pandas.
Malaysia’s decision to spend obscene amounts of money bringing in a
non-native species for a decade long visit is further appalling given
its complete and absolute disregard for its very own Malayan Sun bear.
The Malayan sun bears are routinely orphaned and victimised by habitat
loss from excessive logging, poaching for bear products and surging
demand in the pet and zoo trade.
Amongst other conservation efforts, the 20 million ringgit could well
be spent on saving the endangered Malayan Sun bear. Yet, the Malaysian
government is not concerned in conserving them for they would serve no
value to capital investments in China’s economic empire.
While I do not begrudge Malaysia the industrious opportunities China
has to offer in trade and commerce, it is important to underscore here
that China is the leading capital of animal abuse, illegal wildlife
trade and wild meat consumption.
Across the world, elephant numbers are dwindling owing to China’s
ruthless demand for ivory. China also remains the primary consumer of
traditional Chinese medicine and wild meat, the two commodities driving
the illegal wildlife trade and pushing many endangered species to near
extinction.
And while China hands out pairs of pandas to various countries, their
own horrific fur and bear bile farms kill, maim and brutalise bears
every single day! Across China, bears are kept in cramped cages, their
gall bladders implanted with metal catheters and their bodies clamped
down with metal grilles to enable the extraction of their bile!
Their catalogue of abuses is endless! Therefore, like Stalin and
Hitler advocating human rights, it is a complete travesty that the
Malaysian and Chinese regimes should engage on conservation efforts
given their respective reputations for animal cruelty.
Let us not be fooled by this farce! These pandas have been ripped
from their homes, held hostage by their man masters and have now been
pimped for profit! It is indeed a shameful day in Malaysian history as
we have allowed pandas to be pawned for pungent political pursuits!
The writer is president of the Malaysian Animal Welfare Society
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