Malaysia Plans to Start Exporting Monkeys Again

September 2007

IPPL had received many reports in recent months that Malaysia was planning to lift the monkey export ban it imposed in 1984. Now we are sorry to tell you that the reports were true. The Malaysian government announced publicly on 16 August 2007 that the ban had been secretly lifted last June. Details of how this trade in Malaysia's native macaque monkeys is to be regulated are still unclear, however, including how many animals are to be caught and where they are to be sold.

Twenty-three years ago, IPPL exposed the abuse suffered by Malaysia's crabeating macaques who had been exported to the U.S. for testing biological and chemical warfare agents. The 1984 ban was established by former wildlife chief Encik Mohammed Khan, who was disgusted by accounts of Malaysian monkeys tortured in such experiments. Sadly, Malaysia seems ready to turn back the clock and start becoming complicit in such cruelty again.

Warning signs of lifted export ban

Malaysian animal friends become alert to the possible lifting of the ban when they read an article published in the 4 March 2007 issue of Malaysia's Berita Harian newspaper, which quoted government officials as saying that monkeys were to be exported "as a means of decreasing their population." Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), other Malaysian pro-animal groups, and concerned citizens protested immediately. In a letter dated 24 March 2007 that SAM's President, S. Mohammed Idris wrote to Dato' Seri Haji Azmi Khalid, Malaysia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Mr. Idris stated,
Sahabat Alam Malysia (SAM) refers to a statement by the Parliamentary Secretary Datuk Sazmi Miah regarding the export of our long-tailed [crab-eating] macaques overseas either for their exotic meats or as pets. The decision to export our long-tailed macaques looks like a betrayal by the very people who are entrusted to safeguard our nation's wildlife.

In arriving at this decision the Parliamentary Secretary shows no concerns for NGOs and wildlife groups who are trying hard to change the mindset of the public...

We wish to recall that in May 2006 the Ministry invited NGOs [non-governmental organizations], scientific personnel and wildlife groups for a dialogue session pertaining to the management plan for long-tailed macaques.

Much time and effort was taken to come out with proposals and, after a lengthy discussion, points were noted for better management of monkeys.

However, all these will come to naught with the Ministry hell-bent on exporting the monkeys, preferring an easy solution, without any intention of taking up any of the proposals submitted by NGOs and other groups.

It looks as though the Ministry has no qualms about the horrific suffering the monkeys will undergo at the hands of exotic food lovers in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong who relish monkey brains.

Does Malaysia have "too many monkeys"?

The Associated Press carried a story on 17 August 2007 quoting Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Minister Azmi Khalid's comments at a press conference the previous day. Minister Azmi referred to "complaints that it is cruel to export the monkeys, which are destined for restaurants and research laboratories." The Minister said that these complaints were invalid, because "something had to be done to curb the monkeys' numbers in Malaysia" and that "exporting them was the best option."

Azmi claimed that more than 258,000 crab-eating macaques live in Malaysian urban areas, where they have become a "problem," snatching food from people and raiding homes and fields. He was also reported as saying that Malaysia has nearly 500,000 monkeys living in the wild. IPPL is seeking clarification regarding the source of these statistics.

Azmi did not say how many macaques the ministry would allow to be exported or explain how it would control the trade. The weakness of Malaysian wildlife law enforcement was shown when four baby gorillas (the "Taiping Four") entered Malaysia on false documents in 2002. It took months of complaints by Malaysian and non-Malaysian NGOs to get the animals confiscated.

Minister Khalid also was unable to explain how the government would make sure the monkeys to be exported are not caught from forests, but only from cities where they are an alleged nuisance. The 10 July report by Malaysia's The Star newspaper on the recent confiscation of hundreds of monkeys in the south of Malaysia (see "Hundreds of Monkeys Confiscated in Malaysia," page 12) reports that the monkeys were caught "in the forests of Pahang and Johor."

In the days when India exported monkeys, the country was divided into forest blocks assigned to the big dealers for their trapping activities. Foreign scientists did not want the urban "nuisance monkeys" because they often carried diseases like tuberculosis and intestinal parasites. The experimenters and pharmaceutical companies wanted only "clean" monkeys from the jungle. Major enforcement problems are certain to arise, as government officials cannot follow every monkey catcher wherever he goes.

What makes all this even sadder is that Mlaysia is a nation with a thriving economy and has no need for the "blood money" that trafficking in monkeys' misery may bring to a few greedy individuals.

How You Can Help Malaysia's Monkeys Please mail or fax courteous letters to Malaysian authorities to express your concern at the lifting of the 1984 monkey trade ban. Request that the government reconsider its decision to expose Malaysia's native macaques to abuse as exotic pets, suffering in overseas laboratories, and death as merely pieces of "bushmeat." The cost to mail a letter from the United States to Malaysia is 90 cents. Dato' Seri Haji Azmi Khalid (address as "Dear Dato' Seri Haji Azmi Khalid") Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Aras 17, Blok Menara 4G3, Presint 4 Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan 62574 Putrajaya MALAYSIA Fax: 011-60-3-6-03-88891057 Dato' Suboh bin Mohd Yassin (address as "Dato' Suboh bin Mohd Yassin") Secretary General Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Aras 17, No 25 Persiaran Perdana Presint 4 Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan 62574 Putrajaya MALAYSIA Fax: 011-60-3-6-04-88895449 Mr. Abd. Rasid Samsudin (address as "Dear Sir") Director General Headquarters of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks KM 10, Jalan Cheras 56100 Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA Fax: 011-60-3-6-03-90803557 In addition, please contact the Malaysian Embassy in your country (go to http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/Malaysia/malaysia.htm for a list). The Malaysian ambassador to the United States can be reached at the following address: \p|His Excellency the Ambassador of Malaysia Embassy of Malaysia 3516 International Court, NW Washington, DC 20008 Fax: 202-483-7661