MACC To Investigate Zoo Negara’s Financial Woes

Well, they managed to capture the government's attention, but not for the reason Zoo Negara was hoping for.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said on Wednesday that it will investigate Zoo Negara’s claims of shortage of funds, which is said to be holding back its improvements.

According to a report by The New Straits Times quoting MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya, the matter reeked of possible corruption.

"We will definitely look into the case. We will definitely take our own initiative to verify those issues reported in the news,” she said.

Before this, a report in Free Malaysia Today quoted Zoo Negara’s deputy president Rosly @ Rahmat Ahmat Lana as saying that while it’s still possible to run the zoo, manage the animals and pay staff salaries using the visitors’ fees, it is impossible to upgrade the zoo as the fund is simply not available.

“The zoo is 56 years old now, it requires many repairs here and there. We have plans to renew the facilities, to increase the use of glass in place of bars and cages, as practised by zoos in other countries.

“But it is not cheap to do and we don’t have enough money for that,” Rosly had said in the report.