Hunting for animals in Johor is illegal

Nelson Benjamina and K.C. Chan, The Star 5 Dec 09;

JOHOR BARU: About 3,000 licensed gun owners in the state have been reminded not to misuse their weapons including using them to hunt for animals in estates in Johor.

Deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm I Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said it was an offence to hunt without a valid permit.

“We were told that the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had not issued permits since Feb 14 last year,” he said, adding that, as such, all hunting in the state was deemed to be illegal.

SAC I Jalaluddin said that police had so far arrested two people in Kota Tinggi this year for illegal hunting.

The latest arrest was made on Nov 19 when a 70-year-old man was held in Kluang for hunting wild boars at a Felda estate in Mersing in Octo­ber with three other men, he said.

He said that police began investigations following a report from Felda settlers who alleged that four men had gone into the estate and hunted 13 wild boars over two days.

The men allegedly left the carcasses behind and this caused a stench.

The villagers then complained to the Tengku Mahkota of Johor, Tengku Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar, he said, adding that police then began their investigations which led to the arrest of the man in Kluang.

SAC I Jalaluddin said that police seized the man’s gun under the Firearms Act.

He said that police were still looking for the three other men to assist in investigations.

“The Tengku Mahkota is very concerned about such activities and wants them to stop,” he added.