Sarawakian fined for bringing pedigree dogs illegally into Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: A Sarawakian lorry driver was fined RM10,000, in default five months’ jail by the Sessions Court here yesterday for importing 10 Schnauzer, Welsh Corgi, Chihuahua and Poodle breeds without a licence, with one of the dogs diagnosed with rabies.
Judge Abu Bakar Manat imposed the fine on Alex Liaw, 33, after the latter pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 15(2) of the Animals Enactment 2015.
The Section carries a fine of up to RM50,000 or a jail term of up to two years, or both, upon conviction.
In passing the sentence, the judge among others said that one of the dogs brought into Sabah by the accused were diagnosed with rabies.
If these dogs bit humans, they will be 99.9 per cent infected with rabies and will die, he said.
The judge also said that the accused could not use the excuse of being ignorant of the law as he could have asked what he needed do to bring the dogs into Sabah.
Liaw was caught illegally importing the six female and four male dogs at the Sindumin Sabah Department Veterinary Services quarantine station office in Sipitang on Dec 8, 2020.
The facts of the case stated that the accused failed to produce an import licence issued by the Sabah Department of Veterinary Services, as well as health certificates of the animals issued by the export country.
An investigation revealed the dogs were brought into Sabah from Sarawak through the Merapok ICQ.
In mitigation, the unrepresented accused pleaded for a lenient fine to be imposed on him.
He also said it was his first offence and claimed that he had no knowledge about the said law.
Sabah Department Veterinary Services prosecuting officer Dr Zul Bahar Abdul Rashid however urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence against the accused as a lesson not to repeat the offence in the future.
Dr Zul Bahar also submitted that one of the dogs that died at the quarantine station were diagnosed with rabies.