Activists seek court order for documents on elephant transfer

Activists have taken legal action against four government entities to obtain documents concerning the transfer of three elephants from Taiping Zoo to Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan. Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan filed a pre-action discovery application in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, targeting the wildlife and national parks department, Taiping municipal council, Taiping Zoo, and the natural resources and environmental sustainability ministry.

The group received rejection letters on September 14 and 15, stating the documents were classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA). They intend to use the obtained documents to argue that the transfer was illegal and beyond the law. The activists, including five individuals and animal rights group Hak Asasi Hidupan Liar Malaysia Global, question the OSA classification and the public's right to know the details of the elephant transfer.

The transfer's legality has been under scrutiny since the elephants were relocated earlier this year. The Taiping municipal council claims the arrangement was a non-commercial zoo-to-zoo program, with the elephants still owned by Taiping Zoo, while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission stated Tennoji Zoo paid US$1.48 million (RM6.39 million) to a Malaysian company for the transfer's management.