Melaka Zoo Melaka Zoo to be privatised

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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Malacca Zoo to be privatised
27 November 2012

The popular Malacca Zoo is all set to be privatised. State government owned agencies will take over the management from Wildlife and National Park department before the end of this year.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the privatisation exercise would be handled by agencies such as Malacca Wildlife and two co-operatives *— Koperasi Bela Masyarakat Melaka Berhad (Kobemas) and Koperasi Hang Tuah Jaya.

“The aim of the privatisation is to turn the zoo as the most popular destination here,” he told reporters here, recently.

Mohd Ali said the state government had received a verbal nod from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the finer details on the takeover would be discussed later.

“The privatisation is expected to benefit the arrival of visitors to the zoo although the ticket sales currently enjoyed by the zoo management is close to RM3mil annually.

“We need to enhance the features of the zoo to turn the animal park into a crowd-puller and this could be achieved through injecting more tourist facilities,” he said.

Mohd Ali also said that the state government is expected to allocate RM6mil for the facelift and to make improvements to the infrastructure of the zoo once the take-over is done.

He said the new zoo management will apply the system used by Singapore Zoo where it hopes to attract tourists from this region to visit the menagerie.

Mohd Ali said the name of the Malacca Zoo would also be changed to a Night Safari as re-branding effort of the menagerie.

He also revealed that the RM4mil subsidy granted by the Federal Government will no longer be channelled to the zoo once it had been privatised. The future income would be derived solely on ticket sales.

Mohd Ali added that the current employees of the zoo would be absorb as contract staff under the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council once the privatisation has materialised.
Click to expand...
 
Perhilitan hands over Malacca Zoo to new management - General - New Straits Times
1 January 2012

The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has officially handed over the Malacca Zoo to the state government.

Under the new arrangement, the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) now owns the 21.8ha zoo that houses 978 animals.

The zoo's management will be taken over by Konsortium KKW Sdn Bhd comprising Koperasi Hang Tuah Jaya, Koperasi Bela Masyarakat (Kobemas) and Wildlife Theatre Malacca.

The consortium has agreed to pay RM10,000 in rent a month to MPHTJ.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who witnessed the handover ceremony yesterday, said the zoo would have an official launch under its new management on Feb 1.

"The zoo is now considered a private entity and will no longer receive the annual RM4 million subsidy from the Federal Government.

"However, I am confident that with its privatisation, the zoo will continue to grow, welcome more visitors and hopefully, become a major tourist attraction on par with the Singapore Zoo, which is the world's number one zoo."

Present at the handover ceremony were State Secretary Datuk Wira Omar Kaseh, MPHTJ president Sapiah Haron, former Malacca Zoo director Ahmad Azhar Mohammed and Konsortium KKW chairman Datuk Yunus Hitam.

Konsortium KKW managing director Datuk Michelle Ong said the new 47-strong staff included a zoo director, curator and two veterinarians, with extensive experience in zoo management.

"We are also open to accepting those who were working at the Malacca Zoo before the handover."
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the following translation is direct from Google Translate;
ZOO MELAKA SASAR SEJUTA PELAWAT DI BAWAH PENGURUSAN BAHARU - MOHD ALI - Yahoo! News Malaysia
1 Feb 2013
Malacca Zoo is now known as Malacca Zoo

and Night Safari is expected to attract one million visitors this year under

new management starting Jan 1.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the target was in line with

initiative to upgrade all the facilities, building and hygiene

RM8 million under privatization Consortium Sdn Bhd KKW.

"The total projected ticket collection this year is RM8.5 million

than 750,000 visitors with ticket sales of RM3.5 million last year, "

he told reporters after officiating the launch of the new management

zoo here, today.

Present KKW Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Michelle Ong.

In line with that goal, the consortium

from Cooperative Hang Tuah Jaya, Bela Cooperative Society (KOBEMAS) and

Wildlife Sdn Bhd., Had been planning a range of exciting programs to attract

visitors to the zoo.

- MORE

ZOO-MALACCA 2 (FINAL) MALACCA

Among the programs that will be introduced include program

education through the presentation of animals, animal feed program, trains

night and find the treasure.

Meanwhile, Mohd Ali said the price of admission to the zoo will

revised to cover the cost of upgrading and better management

in the future.

He said the new price is expected to increase up to 50

percent, however, only be adjusted after some work up

standard that is expected to be completed in the next two years.

"However, while this ticket price of RM10 for adults and RM4

(A child) still remain for a few months until the situation in the zoo

improvements and changes in the price and will include tickets for the night

safari, "he said.

Malacca Zoo which was previously managed the Department of Wildlife and

National Park (Wildlife) since 1979 has been submitted to the Municipality

Hang Tuah Jaya (MPHTJ) with the approval of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Around.

Now the zoo and Night Safari houses over 80 species of wildlife

tail of 262 mammals, 280 reptiles and 401 birds
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the date I put on the article in post #2 should read 1 Jan 2013, not 2012. Sorry.
 
interesting development:
Zoo saga takes new twist as 230 animals go missing - Nation | The Star Online
22 Feb 2013

The case involving the deaths of a sun bear and a stallion at the Malacca Zoo and Night Safari took a new twist when it was alleged that some 230 zoo animals were “unaccounted” for.

The discovery was made on Jan 1 in a stock list when the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) handed over management of the menagerie to a private consortium, said a zoologist.

Dr Razeem Mazlan Abdullah, who is the animal welfare and ethics sub-committee chairman of the zoo operators, breeders, pet and wildlife traders association (P4PHM), said the list of missing animals included several mammals, reptiles and birds that vanished in just two weeks after the first listing was completed on Dec 20.

“A big question mark is what had happened to all of them and where have they been placed or transferred to,” he said yesterday.

The P4PHM has a membership base close to 4,000 individuals.

Dr Razeem, who has more than two decades of zoology experience, believed the animals were probably handed over to other zoos and individuals without abiding by the required procedures.

“To my knowledge, protected and endangered species should not be handed over to anyone by Govern-ment zoos without approval from the Natural Resources and Environment Minister,” he said, adding that the discrepancy appeared before the handing-over exercise of the Malacca Zoo to the private company.

Dr Razeem asked the former zoo management to explain the discrepancies in the list.

He said the animals were sent to the zoo about three years ago and the first evaluation on stock list was done last Dec 20 by his group.

However, there were 230 animals missing when a second stock evaluation was made on Jan 1.

Dr Razeem said over 100 mammals, 27 reptiles and 57 birds of various species were missing when the second stock-taking was done.

Among them were the Malayan Sun Bear, Malayan Tigers, dingos, spotted leopards and deer.

Dr Razeem said those missing from the second list included crocodiles, river terrapins and some birds such as the Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Lesser Bird of Paradise and Moluccan Cockatoo.

“From our records, two giraffes died when they were transferred to another zoo before the handover to the private company,” he added.
Click to expand...
 
Chlidonias said:
interesting development:
Zoo saga takes new twist as 230 animals go missing - Nation | The Star Online
Click to expand...

Sounds like a case of corrupt officials making the most of their last opportunity to make some money from the zoo. While some of the animals may have been legitimately (if not sucessfully) transferred, I can't believe that 230 animals, many of which appear to be particularly valuable species, were sent to other institutions in twelve days. I'd hate to think what happened to some of those animals. :(
 
I wonder if the accounting was inaccurate to start with. It seems quite incredulous for 230 animals to be moved in just 12 days. If it were true, then I would bet that most of those animals have died as there is no way of properly and humanely moving this many animals in such a short span of time.
 
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