KOTA TINGGI, Sept 23 — Three men, including two brothers, were sentenced by the Sessions Court here today to seven years in prison and fined RM250,000 each for storing the carcass of a critically endangered Malayan tiger without a permit.
Judge Hayda Faridzal Abu Hasan handed down the sentence after the accused — Md Shaheezam Md Salim, 49; Nazerin Tomiran, 47; and Mohamad Nazrol Tomiran, 28 — pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court ordered that each man would face an additional seven years in jail if they failed to pay the fine.
The three were jointly charged with possessing the carcass of a female tiger, a fully protected species, in the back of a Perodua Alza. The offence was committed at a petrol station in Felda Tenggaroh, Mersing, at 6.10am on Sept 16.
They were charged under Section 70(1) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, which carries a maximum penalty of a RM250,000 fine and 15 years in prison.
During mitigation, the three unrepresented men appealed for a reduced sentence, claiming illnesses and family obligations. However, the prosecution argued for a deterrent sentence, highlighting the severity of the crime.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Fatin Hanum Abdul Hadi described the Malayan tiger as a priceless and symbolic national treasure, saying that its population has dwindled to fewer than 150 in the wild.
“The Malayan tiger plays an important role in the chain of life, and the loss of this animal affects the ecosystem, which also affects humans,” she said.
“If drastic action is not taken immediately, we will lose the striped tiger population from its original habitat in five to 10 years’ time.”
She also said that this was the first case of its kind to be prosecuted since the Wildlife Conservation Act was amended in 2023 to include harsher penalties.
According to the facts of the case, police were dispatched to the petrol station after receiving a public complaint about an individual carrying a tiger carcass.
Officers found the three men acting suspiciously and, upon inspection of their vehicle, discovered the female tiger’s carcass in the rear.
The men failed to produce any special permit from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
In addition to the sentence, the court ordered the tiger carcass to be disposed of and the Perodua Alza, its keys, and four mobile phones to be forfeited to the government.
