SWD wants Ismail Sabri’s statement on turtle eggs

SWD have yet to issue any official letter to Ismail Sabri, seeking his assistance on the turtle eggs incident, because he’s in Kuala Lumpur.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) has confirmed that it wants a statement from Federal Minister Ismail Sabri on a turtle eggs incident in Sandakan in August last year. SWD Director William Baya, in confirming this, said that it was part of the Department’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). “We have to get statements from all those involved in the turtle eggs incident.”

“We will be contacting Ismail Sabri for his statement.”

William was commenting on local media reports quoting Ismail Sabri as saying that he intends to file a defamation suit against the Daily Express, the leading English daily for allegedly implying in a report that he had refused to co-operate with the SWD and/or was playing hide and seek with it. “We have sent Daily Express an email clarifying our stand.”

“We didn’t issue any official statement to complain that Ismail Sabri was refusing to cooperate with the SWD. The Daily Express attributed the statement to sources.”

The issue of sensationalizing the turtle eggs incident should not arise, said William. “We made that clear in our email to the Daily Express.”

“We haven’t so far issued any official letter to Ismail Sabri, seeking his assistance on the turtle eggs incident, because he’s in Kuala Lumpur. However, we will do so as soon as all the locals involved in the incident are interviewed and their statements have been taken.”

Disclosing details on the progress made on the turtle eggs case, on-going since August last year, the SWD Chief said that so far his Department had interviewed 14 people and recorded their statements. He added that among the 14 people was Umno Beluran Chief James Ratib while Kuala Penyu Assemblyman Limus Jury would be interviewed sometime this week for his side of the story. “Limus said that although he was at the dinner function where the turtle eggs were served, he claims that he ‘was not involved’.”

Local media reports had speculated that Limus didn’t come forward and give his statement to the SWD as there was “no visual proof” that he was at the said dinner function. Several media reports said that Limus was not seated at the main table where Ismail Sabri was seated and the turtle eggs were served.

Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Masidi Manjun confirmed in a media statement that the SWD had since informed him that “it’s just a matter of fixing the right date to see him (Ismail Sabri).”

The Daily Express, in a footnote to the story carrying Masidi’s statement, pointed out that “it’s an unchallenged fact that Ismail Sabri and a few Sabah lawmakers had “yet to comply”. “What we reported, following public anxiety that the Department was taking so long in getting to the bottom of the controversy, and quoting a SWD source, was that Ismail Sabri and a few elected representatives had ‘yet to comply’.”

“We never reported that Ismail Sabri was refusing to make a statement.”