19 elephants ‘loaned’ to whom, group asks Perhilitan

2026-03-28 - 03:30

Perhilitan director-general Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim denied a claim on social media that it sold 19 elephants to certain parties. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: An environmental group has called on the wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan) to provide more details on the 19 elephants that were “transferred on loan”, after the department denied claims that the animals were sold. Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (Peka) said the lack of transparency on several key matters creates a “dangerous vacuum” that leaves room for speculation, erodes public trust, and undermines confidence in Malaysia’s wildlife governance framework. In a statement today, its president, Rajesh Nagarajan, urged Perhilitan to disclose the full list of receiving entities and locations of all 19 elephants, clarify whether any cross-border transfers occurred, and the terms of the loan arrangement, including duration, conditions, and oversight mechanisms. “While the agency (Perhilitan) insists that the animals were merely ‘loaned,’ it has conspicuously failed to disclose the most basic and critical information: where exactly have these elephants been sent?” said Rajesh. “Elephants are not commodities to be shuffled in secrecy. They are ‘totally protected wildlife’ under Malaysian law, held in trust for the public, and safeguarded by stringent legal and ethical obligations. “Any transfer, whether termed a ‘loan’ or otherwise, must be subject to the highest level of scrutiny, accountability, and public disclosure. “If this is truly a conservation-driven ‘loan’, then there should be nothing to hide.” Perhilitan director-general Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim yesterday denied a claim on social media that it sold 19 elephants to certain parties. He said they were instead being transferred on loan for wildlife conservation and management. A user on the Threads social media platform had alleged that the elephants, some as young as five years old, were sold to a circus.