SEGAMAT: Two Cambodians were jailed 26 months each by the sessions court here for having the body parts of protected wild lives, in the middle of last month.
Sessions judge Rasidah Roslee imposed the jail sentences on Some Doeun, 47, and Chantha Sambath, 49, after they pleaded guilty to three charges, which were read to them in Khmer.
According to the first charge, on October 16, Doeun and Sambath were found to have in their possessions the feathers of the Kuang Raya bird (Argusianus Argus), which is a fully protected wild life species in the Second Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716), without a special permit.
For the second and third charges, they were indicted of keeping Bornean bearded pig (Sus Barbatus) meat which was also a fully protected wild life, and the fangs of the Malayan Porcupine (Hystrix Brachyura) which was listed as a wild life species which was protected in the Second Schedule of the act, without a licence.
All the offences were perpetrated in the Endau-Rompin Selai (Johor) National Park in the Labis district, here, on Oct 16 at about 8.30am.
As a result, they were charged under Section 68(2)(b) Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) which provides a fine of not less than RM30,000 and not exceeding RM100,000 and jail of not more than two years.
The prosecutions were also made under Section 60(1)(b) of the same act which provided a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or jail not exceeding three years or both, and Section 68(1)(b) of the same act which provided a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or jail of not exceeding two years or both.
In her decision, Rasidah explained the aptness of the punishment taking into account protected wild lives which were now becoming extinct due to human criminal act.
She said the situation invited fear that the coming generations would not be able to know and identify these wild animals.
The prosecution was performed by Johor Wildlife Department’s prosecution officer, Mohd Saiful Mohd Zin.
Earlier, Doeun pleaded guilty to three charges in the magistrate’s court under the National Parks (Johor) Corporation Enactment 1989 for having an axe and a parang, damaging and burning growths and entering without a permit and one charge under the Immigrations Act 1959/1963 for overstaying.
He was jailed three months for every offence under the National Parks (Johor) Corporation Enactment 1989 and 12 months for the immigration offence.
Sambath also pleaded guilty to two charges of having an axe and a parang and entering the park without a permit under the same enactment and flouting Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigrations Act 1959/63 for entering the country without any permit.
He was jailed three months for every offence under the enactment and 12 months for the Immigration offence.
The prosecution case, which were handled by deputy public prosecutor Siti Zubaidah Helmaterliti, was the first prosecution case which was successfully conducted 27 years after the setting up of the Johor National Park. Both the accused were not represented. - Bernama
