Negotiations are reportedly taking place currently in Malaysia with a number of foreign research companies, in particular, an unnamed French contract testing laboratory, to establish a primate research facility in Johor using long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) imported from overseas.

The BUAV together with the IPPL (International Primate Protection League) have launched an international action alert to stop the construction of this facility. Malaysia recently made the decision to not allow the export of its own indigenous population of macaques for research purposes. We believe it is, therefore, inconsistent that Malaysia now appears to be considering allowing a foreign company to establish a facility that will then import macaques from other countries.

We are also concerned that companies, in an effort to avoid the growing public criticism of animal experimentation and attempts to impose stricter restrictions on the use of primates within the European Union, may be looking to set up primate facilities in countries where restrictions may be more lax. This appears to be the case in Malaysia in that there is no legislation governing the use of animals in research.

The use of non-human primates in research is being questioned internationally, most recently in the European Union, by scientists as well as others. The establishment of a primate facility in Malaysia will simply encourage further use of these animals at a time when their use is being challenged. The BUAV urges Malaysia to put an end to these negotiations and to not allow itself to be part of an industry that inflicts such great suffering on our primate cousins.