Winding up her speech in the state assembly today, Ng said they remain the property of Taiping Zoo and Night Safari, contrary to claims suggesting otherwise.

“Their transfer is part of an official collaboration between TZNS and Tennoji Zoo under a sister zoo concept, which focuses on conservation, expertise sharing, and raising the standards of animal care,” Bernama reported her as saying.

Ng said Tennoji Zoo bears a “clear and binding” responsibility for the elephants’ welfare, including the provision of suitable habitats, regular feeding and veterinary healthcare, as well as safety systems and emergency plans.

“The important thing is that the animals’ welfare is ensured through compliance with a clear system. The entire process has been systematically carried out since 2021 and gone through various stages of approval.

“This includes approval from the wildlife and national parks department, export permits, as well as verification under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora by both Malaysia and Japan,” she said.

It was reported that the three elephants arrived at Tennoji Zoo on March 11 as part of the Malaysian Elephant Conservation Programme for breeding and research purposes.

Several netizens have raised concerns about the collaboration programme, saying the animals should be in the wild rather than in a zoo.

A petition calling for the animals’ return to Malaysia has garnered more than 87,500 signatures.