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Court slaps engineer with RM550,000 fine, jail for wildlife possession without permit

KAJANG: A 51-year-old engineer was sentenced to four months in prison and fined RM550,000 in default four years imprisonment to nine charges of keeping wildlife without permit.

Mohd Taha Abd Wahab, pleaded guilty when the charges were read before Judge Noridah Adam at the Sessions Court here today.

Noridah also ordered Taha to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on Oct 19, 2016.

The father of four was served with two charges of keeping a female Malayan tiger and a leopard cat at his house at Kampung Gahal Jaya, Hulu Langat here at 12.30pm on Oct 19.

The remaining nine charges were for keeping a Brahminy kite prey bird, a mountain hawk eagle, two white crowned Shama birds, a Schneider’s dwarf caiman crocodile, a mousedeer, a hill myna bird and a white rumped Shama bird at the same place and time.

The animals and birds are protected under the First Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).

The first charge under Section 70(2) of the Act carries a maximum fine of RM500,000 and five years’ jail upon conviction.

The second charge under Section 70(1) of the same Act carries a maximum fine of RM300,000 or 10 years’ jail or both.

Four charges under Section 60(1)(a) of the Act carry a maximum of RM50,000 to two years’ jail or both, and three charges under Section 68(1)(a) of the Act carry a maximum fine of RM100,000 or three years’ jail or both.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ainul Mardiyah Mohd Ali said apt punishment must be handed down as this case involved a public interest.

“This case involved various protected animals and could bring a huge impact to its ecosystems.

“The public can keep wildlife but it must be done through a proper channel by applying for permit with the National Park and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan),” she said.

Taha’s lawyer Zaflee Pakwanteh said his client had suffered a heart attack and underwent several heart surgeries few years ago.

“My client loves exotic animals and keeping these animals serves as therapy for his illness.

“This is also his first offence and he promised not to repeat this (keeping wildlife without permit) again,” he said.

According to the facts of the case, a team of Perhilitan officers raided Taha’s bungalow and upon inspection, found various wildlife were kept near the premises.

The raiding party had confiscated the animals and arrested Taha after he failed to produce valid documents for keeping the wildlife.

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