PUTRAJAYA — Malaysia’s main anti-graft agency has launched an official probe into a recent elephant transfer to Japan. This action follows serious claims of financial misconduct.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, or MACC, confirmed the case on Monday. It involves three Asian elephants named Dara, Amoi, and Kelat. Consequently, officers are reviewing how the animals moved from Taiping Zoo to Osaka last March.
Specifically, the probe targets the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, known as NRES. Investigators are also looking at the wildlife department and the transit agents. For this reason, the team wants to see if anyone abused their power or hid official funds. This happened because a wildlife rights group stated that a large payment never reached the government.
Meanwhile, NRES officials have promised to help the anti-graft body completely. The minister stated that they will not protect anyone who broke standard laws. Therefore, the ministry wants to ensure full transparency in national wildlife management.
However, the commission noted that the inquiry is still in its early stages. As a result, officers asked the public to avoid making wild guesses. They promised to handle the matter with complete independence.
