KUCHING: The Sarawak government is currently reviewing all permits to ensure that wildlife in the state is protected.
Urban Development and Natural Resources Assistant Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh stated that permit holders must abide by the pre-set terms and conditions or else their permits will be revoked.
“We do not encourage the private sector to keep protected wildlife. Even if we did, we impose very strict conditions. For example, they must provide proper places for the wildlife to be kept. We are reviewing this and have asked the Sarawak Forestry Department (SFD) to stop issuing permits to private individuals. So far, those breaking the law were caught following public tip-offs and that has gone very well,” he said.
He confirmed that permit holders had to renew their permits on an annual basis and they must not abuse the permits.
“Sometimes, the applications for renewal don’t reach the director or minister. The thing is they (the authorities) have a standard operating procedure (SOP) to do it.
“They will have to check whether the permit holders comply with the terms and conditions of their permit before renewing the permits,” he told reporters during a press conference yesterday at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Len stressed that he would not renew permits for private individuals unless they have met the terms and conditions.
“We have to look at their backgrounds and the places where the wildlife is kept. We also look at whether the applicants are capable of maintaining their facilities because it is not cheap to keep the animals,” he said.
