SEREMBAN, Nov 22 — The Sessions Court today imposed a RM40,000 fine on the owner of a pet shop after he pleaded guilty to two charges of keeping protected birds without a licence eight years ago.
It fined Tan Chee Kong, 38, a sum of RM10,000, in default four months’ jail, on the first charge of keeping 11 Indian white-eye birds (Zosterops palpebrosus) at a business premises in Jalan Kapitan Tam Yeong here at about noon on November 3, 2016.
The court fined Tan RM30,000, in default six months’ jail, on the second charge of keeping two blue-crowned hanging parrots (Loriculus galgulus) at the same premises at the same time and date.
The charges were framed under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
The prosecution was conducted by the prosecuting officer of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Gilmoore Bolongan, before Judge Mazni Nawi. Tan was not represented by a lawyer.
Gilmoore, in his submission, requested a substantial penalty to be imposed on Tan as a lesson and warning to all parties that crimes involving wildlife are a serious matter.
“The uncontrolled activity of capturing wildlife in their natural habitat is causing many negative impacts. If this activity is not immediately curtailed, the Indian white-eye birds and blue-crowned hanging parrots will become extinct, and the natural habitat ecosystem will be affected,” he said. — Bernama
