Malaysia: Sarawak Forestry rescues protected parrots from China 'fortune tellers', lodges police report

The Star 2 Sep 19;

MIRI: Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) has lodged a police report against a group of fortune tellers from China who abused protected wildlife in their so-called "fortune-telling" business in Miri.

SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton said his enforcement unit had also rescued two protected parrots being abused by these foreign traders.

"SFC officers raided the exhibition and rescued the two birds.

"We also lodged a police report against these so-called fortune tellers.

"They were using protected parrots as a business gimmick and we are investigating where they sourced the wildlife," he said in a press statement Monday (Sept 2).

Zolkipli said the SFC enforcement team raided the exhibition at the Miri Bintang Megamall after receiving complaints from the public about the animal abuse by the China traders.

The China nationals were at Bintang Megamall lobby for a trade exhibition and one of their stalls featured fortune-telling where colourful parrots were confined in tiny cages.

Members of the public paid money for these parrots to pick cards with their fortune.

Zolkipli said SFC raided the place after receiving public alerts on the abuse of animals by the foreign traders.

"Wildlife is best left alone in their natural habitat.

"Those who possess protected or totally protected animals can be jailed between one to five years and fined between RM10,000 to RM50,000," he said.

The gimmicks by these China traders went viral on social media by members of the public who were upset with the cruelty towards the wildlife.

Members of the public who have information on wildlife abuse can call the Sarawak Forestry Corporation hotlines, he added.

The SFC hotlines are 019-885 9996,016-856 5564 (Kuching); 019-819 0140,019-889 4474 (Sibu); 019-822 3449,019-833 2737 (Bintulu) and 019-822 4566,019-829 0994 (Miri).

Nature lovers upset over China traders' "fortune-telling" birds
Stephen Then The Star 1 Sep 19;

MIRI: Nature lovers here are angry that a group of traders from China who are selling their products at Miri Bintang Plaza Megamall are also abusing wild birds and collecting money for so-called "fortune-telling".

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Miri branch chairman Musa Musbah said he had forwarded a complaint on the matter to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).

"Abusing wildlife is bad enough, what more abusing wildlife for commercial purposes.

"This is an act of cruelty towards animals.

"In the first place, how and where did these China traders source these wild birds? Did they smuggle them into Miri or did they capture them here locally?

"Both are against our wildlife laws, and I have informed the SFC enforcement unit," Musa said on Sunday (Sept 1).

The traders are operating inside the lobby area of the Bintang Plaza complex in Miri city centre.

They have colourful wild birds in cages so small that they cannot even move, and members of the public are asked to pay for the birds to pick a fortune card for them.