A Malaysian minister today defended plans to build an animal testing medicine lab in his state, saying God created monkeys and rats for experiments to benefit humans.

Malacca chief minister Mohamad Ali Rustam said the lab had been approved, and animal testing was necessary to make drugs. "We cannot test on human beings," he said. "God created monkeys, and some have to be tested."

The plans by Indian firm Vivo BioTech to set up a lab in Malacca has come under fire from activists who say test subjects could be abused because Malaysia has no regulations on animal research.

Mohamad Ali said Malaysian agencies, such as the wildlife department, could monitor that the animals were not abused and proper procedures followed. He said eating animals could also be seen as cruel, and yet it was widely accepted.

Vivo signed a 450 million ringgit (£97m) joint-venture deal in January to build the biotechnology centre, including laboratories where trial medicines will be tested on animals. Its partners are state government-owned Melaka Biotech Holdings and local firm Vanguard Creative Technologies.