KUALA LUMPUR – Human-killing orangutans and lions in Malaysia were among some of the claims made by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin that courted fierce public criticism.
Zuraida was seen in a video taken on January 5, explaining that she found books used in Arab schools saying that Malaysia’s palm oil industries are killing orangutans, to which she retorted that it is more likely for the primates to kill humans first.
“I was talking to our ambassador there (Mecca), and he told me that in schools in the Arab countries, which his students went to, the books are painting our palm oil industry in a bad light because we kill orangutans.
“In Malaysia, if you see an orangutan, the orangutans will kill you first, you won’t kill the orangutans first. Right?”
She added that there are procedures when coming across wildlife in the jungle, to which she implied that there are lions in Malaysian forests.
“Perhilitan has its policies. Do you think they simply go and kill orangutans?
“Even lions and tigers, when they see, they don’t kill. They have a procedure to phase them and then take them to the zoo or whatever.”
One of those who shared the video was PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.
Banyak benda boleh belajar dari menteri2 yg bijak pandai:
— Rafizi Ramli (@rafiziramli) January 19, 2022
1) di Malaysia, kalau orang utan jumpa manusia, orang utan bunuh manusia dulu ?
2) di Malaysia ada singa ?
Selamba aaah cikgu aku dulu tipu kat sekolah, tak ajar benda2 ni ? pic.twitter.com/saU8zc6YhN
He snidely said his schoolteachers lied to him and there are many things that one can learn from ministers.
Meanwhile, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad did not shy away from mocking Zuraida, saying “when your friends force you to present for not helping out in the group assignment you will make claims about conserving lions in our jungle and murderous orangutans.”
When you friends force you to present for not helping out in the group assignment you will make claims about conserving lions in our jungle & murderous orangutans pic.twitter.com/OcgmLshpJi
— ?? Nik Nazmi (@niknazmi) January 20, 2022
User @jleonju quote retweeted his post with a picture of an orangutan, innocently sitting on the roadside with the caption “confused in orangutan”, to which Nik Nazmi retweeted.
*confused in orangutan* https://t.co/xGdHh6UczB pic.twitter.com/Cn9x0scaW2
— jurle0 (@jleonju) January 20, 2022
Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil also took to Twitter, calling the comments “bewildering”.
He followed it up with another tweet sarcastically calling Zuraida a great minister.
“This minister is great. Really great! Orangutans will kill you first. Malaysia has a ‘lion’!!” and ended his tweet with a laugh emoticon.
Hebat menteri ni. Memang hebat! Orang utan will kill you first. Malaysia ada “lion”!! ? https://t.co/IfBsOIfd3h
— Fahmi Fadzil ??? (@fahmi_fadzil) January 20, 2022
Hang Tuah Jaya MP Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin took a jab at her implications on how lions could be found in Malaysia.
“I can definitely confirm there are no lions in the jungle of SEA. Unless it somehow has been imported last night.”
I can definitely confirm there’re no lions in the jungle of SEA. Kecuali kalau baru di import semalam. Ok, aku nak masuk parlimen. Good morning ? https://t.co/TO4GgQSI0L
— Shamsul Iskandar (@shamsuliskandar) January 20, 2022
Environmental conservation organisation Zoologi Malaysia said it hopes Zuraida would educate herself by watching a documentary on orangutans, while dubbing them as Malaysia’s national treasure.
Diharapkan Menteri Perusahaan Perladangan & Komoditi dapat menonton dokumentari mengenai our national treasure - orang utan, supaya dapat terlibat membuat polisi baharu yang boleh menyelamatkan habitat asal Pongo.
— ZoologiMY (@ZoologiMY) January 20, 2022
Dalam keadaan semasa, kelapa sawit merampas kawasan orangutan. https://t.co/7z5ugWB2LA
“We hope for the Plantation Industries and Commodities minister to watch a documentary about our national treasure – orangutans.”
Other netizens took a more creative route in poking fun at Zuraida.
Among them was an edited photo of an orangutans riding a horse alongside apes from the film Planet of the Apes posted on Twitter by user @nazrivovinski where he said the minister “probably thought of the film as a documentary”.
I think Zuraida ingat filem Planet Of The Apes tu dokumentari. https://t.co/lKi11XUfCd pic.twitter.com/Y2Vewek6vk
— Sasha Braus Stan Acc (@nazrivovinski) January 20, 2022
According to WWF, Malaysia is one of the only two countries in the world that is home to wild orangutans as they can be found in Borneo and Sumatra.
Dubbed as the “gardeners of the forest”, they play a significant role in maintaining a healthy forest ecosystem.
It is understood that orangutans are not dangerous to humans, as while they are strong wild animals, orangutans are known to be gentle and timid.
Malaysia, although home to a diverse variety of wild animals such as the Malayan tiger, the Malayan tapir and sun bears, lions are not one of them. – The Vibes, January 20, 2022
