A new Wildlife Conservation Act which provides significantly higher penalties and mandatory jail terms for wildlife crime came into effect in Malaysia in December 2010. We felt that it was appropriate to organize a dialogue session between one of the agencies responsible for enforcing the new wildlife act, which is the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) and the active terrapin egg collectors in the villages. Hence the first of such dialogue sessions were successfully held on Sunday, 15th January 2012 at the new Community Hall in Kg. Mangkok, Setiu.
Thanks to the Village Headman, Tuan Haji Awang b. Junus (known as Tuan Haji Zaki to the villagers), 20 egg collectors attended the dialogue session. A detailed explanation regarding the terrapin-related offences and penalties under the new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 was given by En. Edley Jiliun, Senior Assistant Wildlife Officer based in Besut while questions regarding the wildlife act and the dos and don’ts were answered by En. Mohd. Hashimi b. Ahmad Abidin and En. Mohd. Hafiz Anuar b. Abdul Hamid, Enforcement Officers from the Perhilitan Office in Kuala Terengganu.
In the coming months, similar dialogue sessions will he held in more villages in other rivers to ensure that the egg collectors are aware of the new legislation.
We would like to thank the following persons for making the dialogue session a successful one:
- En. Mohd. Hasdi b. Husin, Perhilitan Senior Assistant Director
- En. Edley Jiliun and En. Khairul Fazrul b. Awang Kechik, Perhilitan Officers from Besut
- En. Suhaidi b. Sulong, Perhilitan Officer from Kuala Berang
- En. Mohd. Hashimi b. Ahmad Abidin and En. Mohd. Hafiz Anuar b. Abdul Hamid, Perhilitan Enforcement Officers from Kuala Terengganu
- Tuan Haji Zaki, Kg. Mangkok Village Headman
- All the egg collectors who were present