Insurance agent claims trial to importing gibbon, cuscuses unlawfully
An insurance agent has claimed trial at the sessions court here to charges of importing a gibbon and two cuscuses at KLIA Terminal 1 last week.
S Balachandran was slapped with the charges under Sections 65 and 71 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 for not having a special permit to import the agile gibbon and not possessing licences to import two cuscuses, respectively.
Gibbons and cuscuses are protected species under the law due to deforestation.
Gibbons are found in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, while cuscuses originate from Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.
Balachandran also faces two charges under Section 86(1)(c) of the same legislation for keeping the primate and marsupials in a manner that caused them unnecessary suffering.
If found guilty of not possessing the permits and licences,…
