A husband and wife duo were each fined RM11,000 by the Seremban Sessions Court yesterday (August 27), for possessing Babi Bodoh (Bornean Bearded Pig) meat as well as 2 Hanging Parrots without special permits.
According to a report by Kosmo!, the sentence was handed down by Judge Mohamad Kamil Nizam after the accused, 53-year-old Chau Thim Choy and 52-year-old Ng Sui Ping, pleaded guilty to the charges against them. If they fail to pay their RM11,000 fines, they will face a 2-month jail sentence.
This image is for illustration purposes only.
Seremban Sessions Court sentences a Malaysian couple to an RM11,000 fine each
Based on the facts of the case, they were found to have been keeping parts of a Borneon Bearded Pig and 2 Hanging Parrots without special permits and licenses at a premises in Mantin in 2020.
Both animals are fully protected under the Second Schedule (Borneon Bearded Pig) and First Schedule (Hanging Parrots) of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Act 2010.
This image is for illustration purposes only.
The Babi Bodoh meat was obtained from the Orang Asli community
Lawyer, Low Kin Fai, who represented the 2 accused, informed that the Borneon Bearded Pig was obtained from the Orang Asli community, and that they could not distinguish between a Borneon Bearded Pig and a wild boar.
However, Wildlife and National Parks Department prosecuting officer Gilmoore G Bolongon said this was not an acceptable excuse. He was quoted by Sinar Harian as saying that the species can only be kept with a valid permit issued by a Minister as the wildlife is facing extinction.
The court fined both of them RM6,000 each for possession of the Babi Bodoh meat, or 2 months in prison if they fail to pay the fine. For possession of the 2 Hanging Parrots, both were sentenced to a fine of RM5,000 each.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Also read: NGOs Offer Reward of RM51k for Info That Can Lead to Arrest of Those Who Skinned Dog Alive in Melaka
