Judge Noridah Adam handed down the sentence on Mohd Taha Abd Wahab, 51, after he maintained his guilty plea on nine counts of possessing protected wildlife species.
According to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), the fine was by far the highest amount ever recorded by the department.
On the first charge of being in possession of an endangered tigress, the court sentenced him to four months in prison and a fine of RM300,000 in default 12 months’ jail and ordered him to serve the prison sentence from the date of arrest on Oct 19, 2016.
On the second charge of keeping a leopard cat, he was fined RM80,000, in default six months’ jail.
On the third count of keeping a red eagle he was fined RM50,000 or six months’ jail. For keeping a mountain raven, he was fined RM30,000 or six months’ jail.
The accused was also fined RM30,000 in default six months’ imprisonment for being in possession of two white-crowned Shama birds.
On the sixth to the ninth count of keeping a Schneider’s Dwarf Caiman crocodile, a mouse-deer, a Tiong Masbird and a white-rumped Shama, the accused was fined RM15,000 in default three months’ jail, on each count.
The father of four paid all the fines.
In mitigation, his counsel Zaflee Pakwanteh appealed for low fines and a minimum jail sentence on grounds that the accused, who was suffering from various ailments, had repented and promised not to keep any more protected and endangered wildlife species without a permit.
“My client was remanded for three days and it was a frightening experience for him.
“It was his ignorance and deep love for animals that he had kept them without any permit, but this has resulted in a great loss to him.”
Perhilitan prosecuting officer Ainul Mardiyah Mohd Ali appealed for a heavy sentence as the species involved were totally protected wildlife species and national assets.
“The accused’s action will bring about a negative impact in the long run as it has breached and disrupted the wildlife ecosystem. If these species are not protected, it will lead to extinction.”
Ainul Mardiyah added that the accused’s ignorance was unfounded as being an engineer he should be educated and matured enough to know the rules.
The engineer committed the offences at his house in Batu 13 3/4 , Jalan Sekolah, Kampung Gahal Jaya, Hulu Langat, here on Oct 19 last year.
For the record, the animals are protected species under the First Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).