TUMPAT TIGER APPEAL - JUNE 29

Remember the photos of the tiger butchered into four on the front page of the STAR in October last year?

Well, thanks to public outcry both locally and abroad an appeal was filed and finally going to be heard now on June 29, 2006.



Here is a part of what I wrote to the Press to jog your memory about that event:

“Sentiments were high when it was learned that Ang Chun Tan, photographed smiling beside the dead tiger was fined a mere RM7,000 without any custodial sentence being imposed although the law provides for a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

We thank the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s for filing the appeal and hope and pray that this time around justice will not be blind and deaf.

When these perpetrators make several times more money than the maximum fines the law permits on the markets, for the sale of exotic animals, how can we expect to stop them with these pitiful fines? Only a long jail term will stop this poaching. If the law already provides for these jail terms why don’t the courts impose them?

There are only 500 tigers left in our Malaysian jungles. A tourist to Malaysia once commented, “You do not need big theme parks to attract tourists. You have something far better – a beautiful country.”

I wonder how long we will be hearing tourists say this at the rate we are depleting our exotic animals and raping our forests.

It’s time we got off our laurels and wrote and telephoned the authorities to protest these outrages court decisions. Even a one paragraph letter will go a long way to set the precedence on public opinion.

If you have the time to send jokes by email to a friend, can you not spare a moment to preserve what’s left of our national heritage by writing just one paragraph?”

Animal rights groups need the help of the public to please fax and email the following:

Fax to:

Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail
Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia
Level 1-8 Block C3, Parcel C,
Federal Government Administrative Center,
62512 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Fax: 03-8888-9362

Deputy Public Prosecution Kelantan
DPP Encik Shahidani Abdul Aziz
Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri Kelantan
Tingkat Pertama, Blok 4 Kota Darul Naim ,
15512 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Fax: 09-7447160

Then cc emails to: ppm@pmo.gov.my, azmi.khalid@nre.gov.my, ssothinathan@nre.gov.my, sazmi@nre.gov.my, editor@thestar.com.my, mmail@nstp.com.my, letters@nst.com.my, letters@thesundaily.com, editor@malaysiakini.com, aziziothman@bharian.com.my, metro@nstp.com.my, online@utusan.com.my, editorial@mail.sinchew.com.my

Listen up, guys! Even if you don’t have a fax, just do the email. You only need to write one paragraph if that’s all the time you have. That’s all. What we need is quantity of voices not flowery letters.

Robert Kennedy said: “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation”.

You have a chance to make history on June 29, 2006 because no custodial sentences have been imposed for these crimes.

Just last week NST and AFP reported pangolins being shipped by the truckloads to Thailand (each lorry were carrying about 200 pangolins) and the culprits only got small fines. They can easily fetch over RM70,000 for their haul.

Leave a history your children can look back on with pride.

Justice For Naomi's Death

Hi guys

An RSC Supporter Davina Goh was so moved by Naomi’s story (see blog dated June 20) that on her own initiative she created an online Petition for her. This Petition is amazingly well drafted. It is more than seeking justice. It appeals to the authorities not to neglect the existing animals at the clinic they way Naomi had been.

So we hope all of you would please click on the link below and sign the Petition.

Once she has collected all the signatures, Davina will submit them to the government authorities.

Way to go, girl! Davina has done all the work, guys. Surely you can spend just a few minutes signing the petition.
www.PetitionOnline.com/rsc23606/petition.html

RSC Supporter, Raihana's Story In the NST Today!

Praise the Lord!

Raihana's story is published in the NST. No, not Naomi's story (we are still hoping and praying for that), but on her experience at the zoo. Here is it below. Please get the NST if you can, because it has a photo and I believe it might be the lead letter. Keep up the good work, guys and thank you NST!

SET UP ANIMAL SANCTUARIES INSTEAD

RECENTLY, I visited the National Zoo in Ampang. It is in a deplorable state. The animals are a sad lot, skinny (the lion was, seriously, a bag of bones) and looking depressed.

There was one section, with birds, snakes and ponies, where visitors can touch and play with animals. Sadly, there was no one to monitor the activities of visitors. Children and adults were abusing the animals, pulling them or trying to hold them.

I saw one man pull the feathers of a parrot to make it scream while another tugged hard at the rope attached to a pony to take some photos. Zoo staff should have been there to control the crowd.

The hostility shown by some visitors towards animals is surely the result of a lack of education on animal welfare.

Mahatma Gandhi said that the greatness of a nation is seen in how it treats its animals. In Malaysia, even the authorities entrusted with looking after animals and protecting them seem to lack the most basic knowledge on how to care for them.

Many of the enclosures are cramped and unkempt. Any caring human being can easily see that the enclosures for the giraffes and lions are too small. It is better to put them down then condemn these poor animals to life imprisonment in these places.

A zoo is not a natural environment for animals.

An animal sanctuary is more humane. The animals get to live in surroundings similar to their natural habitats and roam free over a larger territory.

I hope our zoo officials will seriously consider shutting down these animal-torture chambers and set up animal sanctuaries instead. I urge them to train all staff on how to look after the animals.

The Malaysian Nature Society has a better track record in education than government departments such as the Department of Veterinary Services and the Wildlife Departments.

I suggest the Government make it compulsory for all its civil servants dealing with animals to undergo training under the Malaysian Nature Society education programmes.


RAIHANA SOUKET ALI
Petaling Jaya

Rest In Peace, Sweet Naomi

Raihana Souket Ali wrote to RSC with this sad story below. We don't want Naomi's death to be in vain and so we have posted Raihana's story here in memory of her beloved cat, Naomi.


Naomi was born on March 3, 1997. She was a lovely tabby cat and had been with me since the day she was born in my front yard. This year she turned nine and despite her age she was very active and healthy.


















My family took a short trip this March 23, and since Naomi had been slightly unwell, we decided to board her at a government clinic - Jabatan Haiwan Bukit Mertajam (JHBM) in Pulau Pinang.

Based on their promises to look after her, we left Naomi in their care, but four days later when my family returned to collect her on March 27, they were informed that she had died.

They dont know when she died, but she was lying in a very small cage, infested with flies and ants. Upon investigation they found out that she had been locked in a cage and had not been fed water or food the entire four days she was there.

JHBM officials refused to take responsibility and shifted blame upon each other, claiming each had thought the other would feed Naomi. But no one did.

My poor cat was sick, with no water and food for four days. She died a very sad and painful death.

It is now three months since her death and I still cannot swallow the way she died, rather than her death itself. It is very painful to think that after all the years I had taken care of her like my own child, she had to die at the hands of uncaring and irresponsible people.

I complained to the officials and their heads. I wrote letters. I sent a letter to Mr Mohd Radzuan bin Malek, Dept of Vetrinary Services,Headquarters, Wisma Tani. Level 2, Podium Block 1A, Lot 4GI, Precient 4, Federal Government Administrative Centre, 62630 Putrajaya and I never got a reply. Not even a sorry!

I feel terribly guilty and responsible for leaving Naomi there, but I want her death to be an eye opener for others.

Don’t take your pets to government clinics that operate solely for the money and not because they love animals. My experience has taught me that no pain is greater, save that of regret.

With pain and regret,
Raihana Souket Ali
Bukit Mertajam

Please Write To The Newspapers About This Case

Dear caring people out there

If you are impressed, blessed, thankful by the existence of RSC, please remember that we are just like you, ordinary, members of the public. The reason we cannot stress this enough is to let you know that you too can do something.

If you are having teh tarik with a friend outside work, talk about animals, whether it is a story in the newspapers, story in RSC, your own delightful pets, etc.

Waiting your turn by the photocopying machine? tell someone about Jill Robinson and how one person made a difference to saving bears from a life of endless torture for their bile at harvesting farms (RSC Archive Feb 4, 2006).

And please set aside some time, even if it is just one hour a week to write letters to support the causes we raise on our blog at RSC. It does not matter if don't write well or your English is poor. What is important is for the media to be aware of where the public stands on these issues.






Please read the story that appeared in the NST below and share a little of your precious time to write to the papers TODAY asking for maximum prison sentences for these culprits.

Please write to

NST Editor - letters@nst.com.my
The Star - editor@thestar.com.my
Malaysiakini - editor@malaysiakini.com

New Straits Times
Pangolin traders plead guilty
13 Jun 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TANAH MERAH: Two men caught with 137 pangolins last month pleaded guilty to the offence in the magistrate’s court yesterday.

Lorry drivers Azman Che Mat, 35, and Mohd Radzi Mohd Akhir, 48, admitted to three charges of possessing the animals, which are totally protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1976.

On the first charge, they were found to be in possession of 51 adult male pangolins on Jalan Air Lanas, Tanah Merah, at 8.30am on May 28.

The offence carries a maximum jail term of three years, a fine of RM3,000 or both, on conviction.

They were also charged with possessing two juvenile pangolins at the same time, an offence that carries a jail term of up to six years, a RM6,000 fine or both.

The third charge was for possessing 84 female pangolins, also at the same date, time and place. The offence, carries a jail term of 10 years, a fine of RM10,000 or both.

The duo were unrepresented, while the prosecution was led by Wildlife Department prosecuting officer Wan Azali Wan Alwi with magistrate Musyiri Peet presiding.

The two men were caught as they were heading to Thailand to sell the animals, worth RM70,000.

Sentencing has been fixed for July 14.
__________________________________________________

Please note that today the culprits changed their plea and are claiming trial. July 18 has been fixed for mention.

Technorati Profile

Cynthia Hassan's letter to the STAR

We thought Cynthia Hassan wrote a commendable letter to the STAR which was not published. So with her permission we have now published it here, below, for our readers.

"Sir,
I refer to Star, Nation 3 of 22 May ``06 and the heading `Manja shows off new skills at Zoo Negara`.

A primate of the highest order and an endangered one, and while it is acknowledged and accepted as a zoo specimen her life cannot be a `natural` one, this kind of exploitation for the amusement of visitors and tofill the coffers of the zoo should not be allowed to continue.

Aside from being an unethical treatment of this highly esteemed and valued endangered primate - its very nature being so close to the human line makes it susceptable to all of man`s diseases. And for this reason, if nothing else, the orang utan as well as other primates should not be allowed to be in close contact with members of the public.

While in their enclosure the orang utan could be given coconuts, watermelon and huge ice balls made of fruits, not oranges though, and veg to give them something to do. This is how the public can observe them.

On the comments of Zoo Director, Dr. Mohd. Ngah regarding education:I would say he is teaching children that the orang utan is a `fun animal that can do tricks to make them laugh.

On his comments that his `freak show` teaches the importance of conservation, I would ask how? It is obvious to me he is doing the opposite by putting the orang utan`s health at great risk.

Perhaps the Director is not aware of this or is keeping his fingers crossed in the hope she does not contract something.

Surely the orang utan is worthy of more respect.There should be a more natural area for them, something closer to their natural habitat with trees and shrubs for hiding.

In Dorset, England, there is a Primate and Monkey Rescue Park and though this is far from their natural home, much has been done to give these animals an environment that caters to their needs and it gives one a great sense of pride and joy to see them go about their day knowing their value is appreciated and their interests are of primary concern.

I was at the zoo the very first day it opened and have followed it closely ever since. There have been improvements in some areas, notably for the tiger. Also only the tiger would appear to be in tip top condition As our knowledge increases so too must the health and living conditions of the animals. The primates are not looking healthy and the monkey enclosure is so deplorable and overcrowded one cannot really make them out. I would like to see a healthier representation of animals. What we need is quality not quantity.

The biggest improvement has been for the comfort of visitors, i.e. the fancy entrances, beautiful shady walkways, train stations and the "there`s no business like show business" setup.

C. Hassan.
subang jaya.

Spoke To Resident Manager At D-Paradise

A couple of weeks ago RSC telephoned D-Paradise to personally convey the concerns raised over its treatment of animals. RSC first called and asked for Robert Teasdale, the Resort Director because this is what Ms Tan Choe Choe, NST journalist advised after speaking to D-Paradise's CEO, Lee Wah Chong.

To our surprise we were told Robert Teasdale had left about 4 months ago. Isn't Mr Lee aware of this? In D-Paradise's website, under its testimonial page, Robert Teasdale is still listed as Resort Director.

Please also note that before the phone call we had sent an email to D-Paradise to the email address listed under contact details on its website and our mail bounced back. The reason given was that the other party's mailbox was full. So we presume these people don't even check their mails.

After the fourth attempt at phoning we managed to get the Resident Manager at least to speak to him. RSC had earlier left its blog address with one of the staff. The RM said he had gone into RSC's blog and will take seriously the issues raised.

He did continue to say he found nothing wrong about the petting section where the rabbits are kept provided the petting is supervised. I explained that exposing animals to human handling all day is very stressful. No one likes to be poked and prodded and ogled and squeezed and in D-Paradise's case have its ears pulled. I advised him to please seek a genuine expert's opinion on this.

He said he would print out our blog on D-Paradise and discuss with the CEO on how they can improve.

One marine biologist told RSC that some of the animals there seem to be on the endangered species list of CITES!! And this issue has not even been addressed.

For the well-being of all animals we advise all RSC readers to please refrain from visiting places that do not abide by proper standards in the care of animals. Please be responsible tourists and send out the message that we will not frequent such places. See if they can survive without our business.

This is following the same concept as "When The Buying Stops The Killing Will"