The Star, Malaysia : State mulls over letting private animal park continue

Thursday August 28, 2003

State mulls over letting private animal park continue

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is considering whether to continue with a privately-run orang utan rehabilitation programme at the ShangriLa Rasa Ria resort’s nature park in Tuaran, here, where three primates were killed 11 days ago.

Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said this following the arrest of two more people in connection with the slaying of the orang utans at the ShangriLa Rasa Ria resort’s nature park on Aug 18.

The two men, a resort worker in his 30s and a former worker there in his 40s, were arrested at their homes on Tuesday night and were produced at a magistrate’s court yesterday morning, where they were ordered to be remanded.

Counsel V.K. Liew, who represented the men at the remand hearing, said his clients had been remanded for 10 days.

Police had arrested three former Rasa Ria employees on Sunday in connection with the killing of the orang utans.

Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Ramli Yusuff had said that the three men in their 40s had been unhappy with the resort’s management.

Musa said after yesterday’s cabinet meeting that the state had to assess whether it was “proper” for businesses like hotels to rear animals such as orang utans.

“We should have a rethink about this,” he said, adding that the state would have to decide if the rehabilitation of orang utans should be done by the Sabah Wildlife Department at Sepilok Orang Utan rehabilitation centre in Sandakan.

He said he had asked for a report from the department.

Musa said this when asked about fears raised by various groups on whether the resort’s orang utan rehabilitation programme should be continued.