Zuraida's ‘orangutan will kill you first’ comment was a joke, says office

 

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin's office has clarified that her controversial comments about human-harming orangutans had been uttered in “jest”.

The office regretted that criticism against her had “undermined” the ministry and “distorted” the country’s palm oil campaign.

Zuraida recently became the subject of ridicule for claiming orangutans in Malaysia would “kill you first” when they encounter human beings, rather than vice versa.

In a statement today, her office explained that the comments were part of her speech at a closed-door Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) event.

“Unfortunately, the clip was edited in a way that does not do justice to the context of the minister’s speech.

“In fact, some have tried to spin the minister's words which were merely said in jest, to cast aspersions on her and the ministry,” it said.

Zuraida’s office explained that the minister had spoken about orangutans to “get the relevant agencies to study further its habitats and living habits”.

Such studies would then be used to counter “strong anti-palm oil lobbyists” in Europe.

Forest loss and its subsequent impact on orangutans, a critically endangered species, are oft-cited criticisms of the palm oil industry.

“However, certain parties have chosen to cherry-pick the speech to present a distorted view about Malaysia's consistent stance of promoting a robust oil palm industry that could co-exist and flourish in a sustainable ecosystem.

“These people are only undermining the ministry and MPOC's efforts to promote Malaysian palm oil,” it said.

Zuraida’s office thus urged social media users to stop sharing the now-viral video clip of her speech.

“This will only lower the morale of the tireless staff of the ministry and its agencies who have displayed respectable commitment in promoting Malaysian palm oil,” it cautioned.

Aside from claiming orangutans were deadly upon human contact in her speech, Zuraida also said that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) did not “simply kill” orangutans.

As part of her defence of the palm oil industry, she contended that the department used proper handling procedures to deal with orangutan-human conflicts, as it did with “lions and tigers”.

There are no lions living in the wild in Malaysia. - Mkini