MALACCA: The local authority and the state National Park and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) have been urged to identify appropriate methods to control the aggressiveness of monkeys which roam the Terendak Camp in Sungai Udang here.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said if this was done the monkeys would not be a problem to the people who live and work in the army camp.
He believed there were several methods which could be implemented to scare the monkeys.
"Some say that placing a replica of a tiger can scare the monkeys. Monkeys are also said to be afraid of certain odors," he told reporters after chairing the weekly state exco meeting at Seri Negeri here yesterday.
He was commenting on an incident on July 27 in which a troop of monkeys intercepted and grabbed some letters from a postman who was making his rounds at the camp.
Idris said the local authority and the National Park and Wildlife Department should find some method to prevent the monkeys from triggering unfortunate incidents in the area in future.
He however said he would not allow the monkeys to be killed.
"Any act to kill the monkeys in order to control their mischief and aggressive behaviors will only lead to fierce criticism from the public," he said, adding that problems created by wild monkeys had occurred in many other areas in Sungai Udang.
Dealing with the mischievous troops of monkeys has became a norm for army residents at the camp. Soldiers and their dependents acknowledged that the whirly monkeys were a nuisance at the camp by marauding administration offices, canteen, residential areas and even the mosques in search for food.
The army camp, which also houses the Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) Terendak here has been a favourite place for the rascal primates, with Perhilitan laying a trap to catch them.
The school's security guard, Mustaffa Jantan, 4, said the monkeys would enter the school compound by the dozens and began rummaging trash bins and sometimes harass students at the canteen.
"I have seen students being chased by monkeys till they fall and then snatch their food or belongings. Some came with baby monkeys in their arms.
"The monkeys also sneak into unoccupied classrooms, rummage through everything and leave the room in a complete mess," he said when met here yesterday.
Mustaffa, who has been guarding he school for more than 13 years, said the school's management had previously replaced cascading glass windows with fully enclosed ones to prevent monkeys sneaking through the gaps.
Army spokesman said the camp had no plans to get rid of the primates but instead residents were advised to take the necessary measures to prevent their belongings from being stolen.
"Development has caused monkeys to lose their habitat. It is not fair to shoot them. We try to avoid walking alone and walk in groups to avoid being harassed or attacked by a troop of monkeys. We sometimes carry a stick or a stone to chase any monkey that comes too close for comfort," he said.
State Perhilitan director Noorzakiahanum Mohd Noh said the department would lay another trap at Taman Bukit Terendak.
"We will only lay a new trap if we receive more than 20 complaints," she said.
It is learnt that the approximately 2.4m x 2.4m x 2.7m trap can trap up to 40 monkeys.
"We use bread or bananas as bait. The monkeys jump in to grab the food but are unable to climb out as the zinc surface is very slippery," she said.
It was learnt that there was only one trap in the army camp and it was moved to different spots where monkeys were rampant.