Wildlife Act takes effect in peninsula and Labuan

December 29, 2010
By M. SHAMINEE
Star

PETALING JAYA: The Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 has been fully enforced in the peninsula and Labuan as of yesterday.

The Act, which was passed by Parliament in August, has a wider scope and jurisdiction in the protection of more wildlife species and activities related to wildlife.

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) said in a statement yesterday that with the Act fully enforced, it would have better control on all wildlife species, wildlife derivatives, hybrid species and invasive alien species.

Perhilitan, it said, would also have the jurisdiction to address issues on wild animal welfare and cruelty.

“The new law will be more deterrent and provides stringent penalties and punishment for poaching and other wildlife crimes,” it said.

The new penalties include fines of up to RM500,000 with jail term of not more than five years while the minimum penalty imposed for several offences is not less than RM5,000.

The new Act also provides mandatory jail sentence for a term not exceeding five years and a fine not less than RM100,000 and not more than RM500,000 for offences involving protected wildlife such as tigers, rhinoceros, serow (a type of goat), gaur (seladang), leopard, clouded leopard and false gharial (a type of freshwater crocodile).

It also provides for the director-general of Perhilitan to appoint any public officer to exercise the powers of enforcement.

The Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) can be viewed at www.wildlife.gov.my.

Sea levels rising in the peninsula, says Kurup

July 23, 2010
Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Sea levels off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia will rise by 10cm to 13cm in the next 100 years, said Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup.

He added that sea levels on the west coast of Pulau Langkawi would rise by 10cm while at Tanjung Piai, Johor, it is expected to increase by 13cm.

Kurup said the findings were revealed in a national coastal vulnerability index study conducted by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) in 2006.

Checks revealed that 288.4km or 6% of the peninsula’s 4,809km-long coast is being eroded by sea water, he told Senator Mohd Khalid Ahmad.

The erosion is grouped under Category One, which states that economic activities and property are under threat and immediate action must be taken to rectify the problem, he said.

Kurup added that the ministry was implementing short-term and long-term measures in response to the problem of coastal erosion.

“Short-term measures include carrying out engineering works and construction of erosion control structures.

“So far, 140km of affected coastline have been rehabilitated. Among the areas rehabilitated are Kemaman beach (Terengganu), Kuala Sala Kecil and Kampung Kangkung, Yan (Kedah) and the Miri - Kuala Baram coastline in Sarawak,” added Kurup.

He said in the long-term, DID has implemented an integrated shoreline management plan to prevent shoreline erosion from worsening.