The State Government will consider amending the Sabah Wildlife Enactment in its efforts to provide protection to all endangered animals.

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said the move was still under discussion and legal advice was also underway.

He said that if the amendment was successful, the accused in wildlife cases would need to prove that he did not commit the crime, in contrast to the current law where the prosecution had to prove that the accused had committed the crime.

“Such amendment is urgently needed as there are cases in relation to the violation of the enactment that occurred at certain plantations and no one was willing to come forward as a witness,” he told reporters after officiating at the Pre-School Cultural Carnival Closing Ceremony 2017 at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here on Saturday.

Masidi said the amendment was also important as poachers were active, causing endangered animals such as elephants to be killed, recently.

He said a meeting with the Wildlife Department was held which suggested various ideas and proposals.

Among the outcomes of the meeting was that the Wildlife Department should work together with Sabah Parks and the Forestry Department to protect endangered animals in Sabah, Masidi said.

He said assets from these three departments could be used together for the purpose of protecting the animals as the responsibility was also borne by the three departments.

Masidi also called on all parties, including NGOs and the public to channel information on illegal hunters’ activities.

He said such actions would enable the government, especially the Wildlife Department, to arrive at the scene to address the matter immediately.

“Do not just be good at publishing on Facebook and wait for a few days to get 10,000 ‘likes’ and then report the matter to the authority. I don’t think it serves the purpose,” he said.

Masidi who was disappointed with the poaching activity, also said the Wildlife Department had also suggested that plantation owners in Sabah should be given the responsibility of protecting wildlife.

He said that if there were elephants or other wildlife entering plantations, the owners had to protect the animals on behalf of the government.

Meanwhile, Masidi said the issue of the turtle carcasses found on Bum Bum Island in Semporna recently was still under investigation.

“The case is not easy and is still under investigation, but the initial report says that not only the flesh and internals were taken but also the chest shell (Plastron).

“Turtle chest shells are believed to have traditional medical purposes … the meat is indeed taken but it is not the main reason of why these turtles are hunted,” he said.

He also said the turtle case was quite a challenge to solve as it involved people who were always moving from one place to another.

“For example, the Pelauh community in the area  often moved, so it is very difficult to pin them down. We are also faced with border challenges and so on,” he said.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Borneo Post

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]