Engineer pleads guilty to keeping wildlife without permits

KAJANG: An engineer kept various species of wildlife, including a female Malayan tiger, as a form of therapy for his illnesses, which included a heart problem.

But he did not have any permission to do so.

Mohd Taha Abd Wahab, 51, pleaded guilty yesterday before Sessions Court judge Noridah Adam to nine charges of keeping the animals without permits. The judge then fixed Feb 16 for sentencing.

Speaking to reporters later, his lawyer Zaflee Pakwanteh said Mohd Taha kept the animals as it was his hobby.

“But the issue here is he does not have a licence. He’s not a trader. He is just an animal lover.

“Keeping these animals serves as a therapy for his illnesses, which included a heart problem,” he said.

Clad in a light blue polo shirt and black trousers, Mohd Taha appeared composed when the charges were read out to him.

On the first and second charges, he allegedly kept a female Malayan tiger and a leopard cat at his house at No 7, Lot 1433, Batu 13 3/4 Jalan Sekolah, Kampung Gahal Jaya, Hulu Langat here at 12.30pm on Oct 19.

On the third to ninth charges, he allegedly kept a brahminy kite prey bird, a mountain hawk eagle, two white crowned shama birds, a Schneider's Dwarf Caiman crocodile, a mousedeer, a hill myna bird and a white-rumped shama bird at the same place and time.

The animals and birds are protected under the First Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).

Zaflee said Mohd Taha bought the animals at a pet shop near his home.

“He genuinely thought they (the shop) had a licence, so he brought the animals home.

“In fact, he wanted to sell off the tiger, but it was already too late,” he said, adding that the animals were all well-kept by his client.

On the first charge under Section 70(2) of the Act, Mohd Taha faces a maximum fine of RM500,000 and jail of five years.

On the second charge under Section 70(1) of the Act, he faces a maximum fine of RM300,000 or 10 years in jail or both.

On four other charges under Section 60(1)(a) of the Act, he faces a maximum RM50,000 fine or two years in jail or both.

On three other charges under Section 68(1)(a) of the Act, he faces a maximum fine of RM100,000 or three years in jail, or both.

The Wildlife and National Parks Department is represented by deputy public prosecutor Ainul Mardiyah Mohd Ali.

Mohd Taha previously pleaded not guilty to all nine charges on Nov 30 last year.