{
  "id": 10678122,
  "title": "Aktivis mohon perintah mahkamah dedah dokumen pemindahan gajah",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/aktivis-mohon-perintah-mahkamah-dedah-dokumen-pemindahan-gajah",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T10:04:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/29/aktivis-mohon-perintah-mahkamah-dedah-dokumen-pemindahan-gajah"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Activists have filed a petition with the court, demanding four government agencies disclose documents related to the relocation of three elephants from Zoo Taiping to a zoo in Japan. Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan explained that the petition to obtain documents before taking legal action was submitted at the High Court Kuala Lumpur against the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the Taiping City Council, Zoo Taiping, and the Ministry of Rural and Natural Resources. Obtaining documents from other parties can help determine if there is a basis for filing a lawsuit. The petition was filed after the Ministry and the Wildlife Department refused to release the documents, citing the classification of the documents under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA). The group wrote a letter on September 8 seeking all documents related to the relocation, but received replies on September 14 and 15 denying the request. Rajesh stated that this petition is not a main lawsuit to challenge the relocation, but rather aimed at obtaining the documents first before deciding on further legal action. Their goal is to have the documentation and use it to file a lawsuit claiming that the elephant relocation to Tennoji Zoo in Osaka violated the law and overstepped legal boundaries. Rajesh also questioned the classification of the documents under the OSA, arguing it constitutes misuse of the law. He emphasized that the public has the right to know how the elephants were relocated. The five petitioners are Sheeren Begum Abdul Yunos, Norhanim Zain, S Shashi Kumar, Seow Yin Lee, and the Malaysian Animal Rights Group Global Human Rights. The relocation has been controversial since the elephants were sent to Japan at the beginning of the year. The Taiping City Council defended the regulation, stating it was an inter-zoo program, not commercial, and the elephants remained Zoo Taiping's property. The Anti-Corruption Agency previously stated that Tennoji Zoo paid USD1.48 million, or approximately RM6.39 million, to a Malaysian company to manage the relocation, and the cost was not borne by the Malaysian government.",
  "summary": "Kumpulan itu mahu dapat dokumen dari agensi kerajaan sebelum timbang tindakan undang-undang pemindahan Dara, Amoi dan Kelat ke zoo Jepun.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Aktivis mohon perintah mahkamah dedah dokumen pemindahan gajah",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/aktivis-mohon-perintah-mahkamah-dedah-dokumen-pemindahan-gajah-10678518",
        "published": "2026-09-29T10:04:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}