By Dorcas Ting
BINTULU, Nov 21: A 69-year-old Sibu resident was sentenced to a RM7,500 fine or three months in prison for encroaching into Similajau National Park and using the area as an illegal landfill.
Sia Yiik Nguong was charged under Sections 26(a), (b), (d), (f), and (l) of the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance 1998 (Chapter 27). The offences occurred on Oct 25, 2023, around 10.20am, when he was found dumping rubbish and waste materials in cleared areas of the protected park.
Items seized from the site included a plow machine, a chicken coop, building structures, a Toyota Hilux pickup truck, and piles of rubbish.
Sia’s accomplice, Patrica Changgan, 45, was also fined RM4,500 or three months’ imprisonment for related offences under Sections 26(a), (b), and (d) of the same ordinance. A Warrant of Eviction under Section 33 of the ordinance was issued against the pair, following an application by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronald Felix Hardin and Prosecuting Officer Peter Buga from Sarawak Forestry Corporation.
Both Sia and Patrica pleaded for leniency before Bintulu Sessions Court Judge Leo Saga, expressing regret for their actions. They admitted to using the site to sort and store recyclable waste collected from Bintulu for profit. Patrica had lent her pickup truck to assist Sia in transporting the waste.
The prosecution argued that their actions caused significant environmental damage to the geological features and biodiversity of Similajau National Park, a conservation area aimed at preserving Sarawak’s flora and fauna.
Judge Leo sentenced each defendant to a RM1,500 fine for each charge, totaling RM7,500 for Sia and RM4,500 for Patrica, with the alternative of three months’ imprisonment. He noted the prosecution’s suggestion to impose community service on the accused to clean up the park but stated that current legislation under the NPNR Ordinance does not allow such orders.
The prosecution emphasised the need for legislative reform and proposed that community service provisions be included in future amendments to the Wildlife Crime Sentencing Guidelines. — DayakDaily
