Man fined RM4,000 for possessing, hurting pangolins

The price of one kilogram of pangolin is RM150 in Malaysia and across the border in Thailand is RM280. An adult pangolin is at least 3 kg. In the international market, it can fetch until RM800 per kilogram.
Lets calculate the value of 31 pangolins.

31 pangolins in Malaysia = 31 X 3 kg X RM150 = RM13,950 (Value in Malaysia)
31 pangolins after crossing to Thailand = 31 X 3 kg X RM280 = RM26,040 (Value in Thailand)

However,
Fine for illegally possessing 31 pangolins = RM4,000 (Read news below)
Fine for hurting the pangolins = RM2,500
TOTAL ONLY = RM4000 + RM2500 = RM6500

No wonder, there are still people willing to smuggle these rare pangolins.
Our country, Bolehland is going down the drain....

A quote from Mahatma Gandhi best described my country....
The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

Do you think our nation can be great if animals are treated like shit?

Read the news here:


Monday July 21, 2008 MYT 4:30:09 PM
Staronline
By EMBUN MAJID


JITRA: An odd-job worker was fined a total of RM4,000 by a magistrate's court here for illegally possessing 31 pangolins and hurting the protected animals.

Mohd Fauzi Usuf, 30, from Changloon, near here, was fined RM1,500 for possessing the pangolins under Section 64(2)(a) of the Wildlife Protection Act (Amendment) 1988.

He was fined another RM2,500 for hurting the animals by confining them under Section 92(1)(c) of the same Act.

Mohd Fauzi, who pleaded guilty to committing the offences at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Anti Smuggling Unit (UPP) office, at about 11.35am on July 14, paid the fines.

Section 64(2)(a) carries a maximum fine of RM3,000 or two years' jail or both while Section 92(1)(c) carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or three years' jail or both.

According to the facts of the case, the UPP found the 31 pangolins in 31 plastic bags inside a Proton Wira driven by Mohd Fauzi who was arrested at the Bukit Kayu Hitam UPP office.

National Forest and Wildlife Protection Department's prosecuting officer Shaharuddin Osman pressed for the maximum sentence, saying that the pangolin was nearly extinct.

He said that although it was Mohd Fauzi's first offence, a heavy penalty should be imposed as a deterrent to others.

Magistrate Zhalizan Sanusi said the court decided to fine Mohd Fauzi for both offences since he was a first offender.

He warned Mohd Fauzi that the court would jail him next time if he repeated the offence.