By JASON GERALD JOHN

MALACCA, MALAYSIA - One of the five monkeys that were "imported" from Terengganu to help promote tourism at a tropical fruit farm in Sungai Udang died at a veterinary clinic on Sunday, two days after its arrival in the Historical City.

The female monkey, fondly known as Mek Wok, died of depression.

The monkey was part of the state's ongoing plan to bring in new tourism products to Malacca.

Mek Wok was to have been the main attraction at the Sungai Udang Tropical Fruit Garden as she was given the task of climbing coconut trees to pluck the fruits for tourists to quench their thirst.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who received Mek Wok at his residence on Friday, was not only saddened by the death of the primate but was shocked when he got the news.
"I just got the animal on Friday and it was so friendly.

"Mek Wok even climbed the coconut tree at my official residence and plucked me a few coconuts."

Ali said the veterinarian informed him that Mek Wok had died due to depression.

"The monkeys, including Mek Wok, were bought for between RM400 and RM2,000 each.

However, the plan to woo more tourists to Malacca and also to make the coconut plucking attraction a new tourism product would still go on as planned.

"We still have four monkeys at the farm. We will continue to bring in more monkeys for this purpose and even set up a centre to train new monkeys for this task."

The monkeys' trainer Mohd Zahari Ahmad Sidek, 46, from Kelantan, would organise the shows at the fruit farm.