KUCHING, May 9 — A 23-year-old man was fined a total of RM8,000 in default six months’ imprisonment by the Sessions Court here today for entering and removing geological rocks from a national park in Bau.
Kuan Boon Lung pleaded guilty to two charges framed under the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance 1998 before Judge Mohd Taufik Mohd @ Mohd Yusof, who imposed a fine of RM4,000 in default three months’ jail for each charge.
Kuan pleaded guilty to entering Dered Krian National Park without permission from the Controller of National Parks and Nature Reserves, and removing geological rocks from the national park.
Both offences were committed at around 9.50pm on Oct 22, 2021.
Based on the facts of the case, a team of Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) officers were conducting a routine patrol at an area within the national park when they detained Kuan, who was in possession of several gunny sacks containing geological rocks and hand tools.
Kuan failed to show he had valid permission to enter the national park, and take, destroy or remove geological rock material within the said national park, from the Controller of National Parks and Nature Reserves.
During proceedings, the court was told that Kuan is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for causing grievous hurt against a 27-year-old man. He had also been sentenced to three strokes of the cane for that offence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronald Felix Hardin prosecuted, while Kuan was unrepresented by legal counsel. — Borneo Post
