LETTER | Despite over a year of protest from over 400,000 animal activists worldwide demanding urgent action from the Malaysian government to release the lonely 37-year-old captive elephant Lasah and retire him to an elephant sanctuary immediately, still he languishes at Langkawi Elephant Adventures (LEA) where he continues to be used by the company to give rides to tourists.
This solitary and exhausted-looking Asian elephant has been victimised and enslaved in various tragic ways for over 25 years.
Lasah has been at LEA since 2006 where, according to Friends of the Orangutans Malaysia, he is subjected to a brutal and incessant regime in which he is forced to give rides daily. When he is not needed, he is chained by his legs like a slave. Isn't this abusive treatment illegal under Malaysian wildlife law?
To see images of Lasah standing and sleeping on concrete and so tightly shackled he can barely move is pitiful and heart-breaking to anyone with an ounce of compassion.
This highly intelligent and sensitive being's life was stolen from him decades ago. He has neither companionship nor enrichment. He cannot roam free over vast areas or play in water with other elephants as wild elephants do.
Don't those people who put Lasah through such daily torture feel any compassion for him or guilt for the role they play in his misery?
Why are the laws which are meant to protect animals such as Lasah never enforced?
Why is the government seemingly ignoring all calls to move Lasah to a sanctuary? In my view, it is utterly shameful.
I am from the UK and refuse to visit Malaysia until Lasah has finally been treated with respect. This broken elephant has suffered enough. I urge the Malaysian government not to keep turning a blind eye to his plight.
I and thousands of others, who are intervening on behalf of an innocent being who cannot speak for himself, urge the Malaysian government to rectify a terrible injustice and retire Lasah to the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah at once.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
