Khushwant Singh, Straits Times 6 Sep 08;
THIS is what Lee Sui Sea, 60, had hidden from the immigration authorities in the front pockets of his trousers - 33 birds.
They are Oriental White Eyes, or mata puteh as they are known in Malay, which can grow to at most 10cm in length, and which can fetch more than $7,000 depending on how well they carry a tune.
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) officers snared the businessman on June 13 at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, with the live goods, wrapped in green nylon netting, on him. Someone had apparently blown the whistle on him.
This was his second flock of migrant birds from Tanjung Pinang in Indonesia.
In April, Lee smuggled 32 mata putehs in a similar fashion. They made their passage into Singapore undetected and have since been sold to Lee's acquaintances.
Yesterday, Lee became the first bird smuggler to turn jailbird on fears of bird flu.
Since Oct 28, 2003, a licence has been needed to import live birds from Indonesia, following avian flu outbreaks there. Up to June 19 this year, Indonesia had 135 confirmed cases of people with bird flu, of which 110 died.
In January last year, an employee of an oil rig firm was fined $7,000 for smuggling five mata putehs from Batam. He packed them in a biscuit tin in his bag.
The maximum penalty for bringing in live birds or animals without a licence is a year's jail and a $10,000 fine.
Yesterday, Lee chose to face the music and pleaded guilty. AVA prosecutor Yap Teck Chuan wanted a stiff sentence, arguing that Indonesia's casualty rate was the highest in the world.
Lee's actions put Singapore at risk of having an unwelcome visitor in the form of the bird flu strain.
District Judge Terence Chia jailed Lee for a month. He turned down Lee's request to be given two weeks to settle business matters.
