Outcry over elephant wedding procession in Kelantan prompts Perhilitan task force

GEORGE TOWN, July 1 — As animal rights groups slammed the use of elephants in a wedding procession last weekend, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) responded late last night by announcing it will set up a special task force to review and improve existing laws and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

On Sunday night, wildlife conservation artist Christine Das lodged a police report after seeing videos circulating on social media showing a wedding procession in which the couple rode an elephant.

She said elephants are endangered and held in trust by Perhilitan for conservation.

“I lodged the police report because I believe this is a matter of public interest that deserves transparency,” she told Malay Mail.

She said that if the elephants shown in the wedding procession were from the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, it would go against the centre’s purpose of conserving, rescuing, rehabilitating and educating the public about wild elephant populations, as well as assisting in their management.

Christine said she had long opposed elephant rides and performances because they do not reflect the animals’ natural behaviour.

“I was deeply saddened and appalled to see this happen. I cannot believe that Perhilitan would turn our majestic elephants into dressed-up props for weddings,” she said.

President of the Association for the Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (PEKA) and founder of Lawyers for Animal Rights N. Rajesh described the use of elephants in a wedding as illegal.

“The use of elephants in a wedding is illegal, considering the fact that these are endangered animals. These are Category One endangered animals,” he said.

Even if the elephants were not from Kuala Gandah, he said all elephants in the country fall under Perhilitan’s responsibility.

“This is clearly a dereliction of duty by Perhilitan. Not only is it dereliction, it’s worse than that. It’s an abuse of duty,” he accused.

Pertubuhan Konservasi Alam Malaysia, Team DAK, Ihsan Shelter and NGO DAK also issued a joint statement on Monday objecting to the use of captive elephants for rides and commercial gimmicks at a wedding ceremony in Kelantan.

They pointed out that the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is a fully protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).

“Under this Act, any activity involving the possession, exhibition, or use of fully protected wildlife requires a special permit subject to stringent approval by the relevant authorities,” they said.

They also stressed that the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (Act 772) prohibits any act that causes suffering, distress or neglect of an animal’s basic needs for the purpose of entertainment.

They demanded an investigation into the matter and questioned whether the use of the elephants for the wedding had received the necessary approvals and authorisation from the relevant authorities, particularly Perhilitan.

In a statement issued by Perhilitan director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, he referred to the use of elephants named Sanum and Mekna in a procession during the Madani Community Programme in Kampung Pasir Tumboh, Kelantan, but did not mention the wedding procession.

He said the department has an existing SOP for elephant procession programmes dated December 21, 2016.

“On May 25, 2026, Perhilitan received an application from the Kelantan State Land and Mines Director for an elephant and wildlife exhibition in conjunction with the Madani Community Programme in Kampung Pasir Tumboh, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

“Subsequently, the Special Permit Application Committee Meeting, held on June 16, 2026, reviewed and approved the application based on the established SOP,” he said.

He said health examinations of the elephants and the selection of those to be used were carried out by the department in accordance with the prescribed SOP.

“Welfare assessments of the elephants were conducted before, during and after the programme, covering the transportation, preparation and use of the elephants throughout the event,” he said.

He acknowledged the concerns raised by civil society and Malaysians over the elephants’ welfare.

“Accordingly, Perhilitan will establish a Special Task Force to review and improve the existing laws, SOPs and procedures together with relevant stakeholders,” he said.

He said the department would also refer the matter to the Integrity Unit of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) and the Governance Investigation Division of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to help comprehensively strengthen and refine existing SOPs and procedures.