Yuen Meikeng The Star 8 Sep 10;
PETALING JAYA: Wildlife trafficker Anson Wong may be behind bars, but an animal collector claims several pet shops in the Klang Valley are still receiving their supply from sources related to him.
Nicholas Lee (not his real name), who has a collection of over 50 exotic pets, claimed that a pet shop owner told him that its supply of wild animals would not be cut off although Wong had been sentenced to six months in jail.
“In my years of collecting exotic animals, the pet shops that I frequent told me they received their supplies from Penang.
“It is a fact that there is only one wildlife supplier in Penang – Anson Wong,” said the 33-year-old, who started his hobby by keeping a few iguanas when he was in Form Four.
Lee, a marketing manager, said his pets were obtained legally and he had licences for each of them.
His exotic collection includes snakes, frogs, lizards and tarantula spiders.
Lee said wildlife collectors kept such animals because it was fascinating to see how they grew and behaved.
On Monday, Wong — described as the ‘’Pablo Escobar of the wildlife trade’’ — was jailed six months and fined a total of RM190,000 for smuggling 95 snakes without a permit.
Wong was caught at the KL International Airport on Aug 26 while trying to smuggle boa constrictors without a permit to Jakarta.
He pleaded guilty to the offence.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said his ministry would appeal and seek a tougher penalty against Wong as he believed the wildlife trafficker got off lightly.
The ministry’s senior legal adviser, Faridz Gohim Abdullah, who acted for the prosecution in Wong’s case, said the ministry should file their appeal within 14 days after the date of sentencing.
“However, this matter is now being handled by the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he said.
Wong’s lawyer, M. Sivam, said he had yet to receive instructions from his client to appeal against his sentence.
Probe on how Wong boarded plane with snakes
Christina Chin The Star 8 Sep 10;
GEORGE TOWN: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is still trying to solve the mystery of how wildlife trafficker Anson Wong managed to board a flight at Penang International Airport with a bag full of snakes.
“I cannot give you the details of the investigation but we will try to complete it as soon as possible,” said MAHB senior general manager (operations services) Datuk Azmi Murad.
Ninety-five boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle were found by baggage handlers in Wong’s check-in suitcase during his transit through KLIA from Penang on a flight bound for Jakarta.
The snakes were found in containers wrapped in sarong.
Wong was arrested on Aug 26. He was jailed six months and fined RM190,000 on Monday for smuggling 95 snakes.
State Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh called for transparency and urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the alleged involvement of a high-ranking officer from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks with the wildlife dealer.
Known as the “Pablo Escobar of the wildlife trade”, Wong had earlier been linked to the proposed tiger park initiated by the Penang government.
Two Bengal tigers allegedly belonging to Wong were previously kept at the Bukit Jambul Hibiscus, Orchids and Reptile Farm but have been moved to a private location.
They will eventually be housed in a reptile garden in the forest reserve.
Phee said the state government had no dealings with Wong.
“All our facilities at the forest reserve are ready but we have yet to move the reptiles and tigers there because we want to make sure that everything is done legally.
State MACC director Datuk Latifah Md Yatim could not be reached for comment.
