KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government must take a serious view of the serving of turtle eggs on a dining-table, said former Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew.
Making the call, Liew said it was incumbent upon the current minister to get the relevant authorities to investigate how a plate of turtle eggs had ended up on the dining-table.
Earlier, the photo of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin with dishes that appeared to be turtle eggs on a dining table sparked outrage among social media users as it was not the first time high profile figures were seen served with turtle eggs.
"I am surprised to see the turtle eggs being served because we have always reminded the people to comply with the laws of conservation.
"Personally, I am very disappointed as turtles and their products (example, eggs) are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
"During my short tenure, one of our priorities was the strong emphasis on protection of turtles which are among Sabah's key tourist attractions," she said in a statement today.
Liew added a turtle conservationist had said he had been striving for 25 years to preserve the turtle population with assistance from the Sabah Parks.
On the 'shock' involving the presence of a rare shark in a tank at a restaurant (which has surfaced online), Liew said it does not bode well for the image of the Government if there is no enforcement of laws.
"I urge the Fisheries Department to get down to the root of the issue. I understand that this species of shark (known as zebra or leopard shark) is listed as 'Endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of species at risk of extinction," said Liew, who is also Tawau MP cum Api Api Assemblywoman. - NST
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