Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) confiscated protected species kept as pets without permits at two different locations near Kota Kinabalu, yesterday.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew said the department received reports from the public on the matter and dispatched an enforcement team after obtaining search warrants from the court to check and raid the premises in Kepayan and Kg Kibabaig, Penampang.

Liew who is also the state tourism, culture and environment minister said the owner of the premises aged 63 and 48 years old respectively, failed to show permit to prove legal ownership of the animals to the enforcement team.

“In the first premise (in Kepayan), the enforcement team found one White-browed Shama, one Magpie Robin and seven Blue-crowned Hanging Parrots being kept in several small bird cages. All the birds are listed under Part I of Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.

“Meanwhile, at Kg Kibabaig, Penampang, the enforcement team found to be keeping a long-tailed Macaque in a cage,” she told in a press conference at the sideline of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting in Kota Kinabalu, today.

Also present were the ministry’s permanent secretary Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai and SWD director Augustine Tuuga.

Liew said keeping the birds without a permit is an offence under section 41(2) of the Enactment which, upon conviction, is liable to a fine of not less than RM30,000 and not more than RM100,000 or an imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than five years or to both.

“Keeping the monkey without legal permit also carries the same penalty because the species is also listed under Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Enactment,” she said, adding that the birds and the Long-tailed Macaque were confiscated for further investigation.

Liew said the SWD thanked the public for providing the information on the animals and the department also welcomed information from the public on all wildlife-related matters, which can be forwarded to its head of enforcement unit through WhatsApp application/sms/or direct call at 012-816 6818.

— Bernama