Man pleads guilty to nine charges of keeping illegal wildlife

KAJANG: A 51-year-old engineer, who is supposedly just an animal lover, pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court here on Wednesday to nine charges of keeping illegal wildlife – including a female Malayan tiger – without a permit.

Judge Noridah Adam fixed Feb 16 for the sentencing of Mohd Taha Abd Wahab upon a request from his lawyer Zaflee Pakwanteh.

Speaking to reporters later, Zaflee said his client was keeping the animals as a form of "therapy".

"It is his hobby, but the issue here is he did not have the licence. He's not a trader. He's just an animal lover.

"Keeping these animals serves as therapy for his illnesses, including a heart problem," he said.

Zaflee said his client thought the shop from which he acquired the animals had a proper licence to sell them.

"In fact, he wanted to sell off the tiger (when he found out otherwise), but it was already too late," Zaflee said, adding that all the animals were well cared for.

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

The first and second charges were for keeping a female Malayan tiger and a leopard cat at his house in Kampung Gahal Jaya, Hulu Langat.

The third to ninth charges were over 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.

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.

Mohd Taha faces fines ranging from RM50,000 to RM500,000 and jail terms of two to 10 years for the offences.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to all nine charges on Nov 30 last year.

Ainul Mardiyah Mohd Ali appeared for the prosecution.