Palm | Kelapa Sawit

Khushwant Singh Straits Times 1 Feb 13;

A MAN who tried to smuggle 44 zebra doves into Singapore on his motorcycle after hiding them in two laundry bags was jailed for a month yesterday.

Malaysian carpenter Ng Chor Le, 42, bought 52 of the popular cage birds for RM160 ($65) and put 44 in the fabric laundry bags, which he hid under a raincoat on the front of his bike.

He was found out in a routine check by a Central Narcotics Bureau officer. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to bringing in the birds without a licence from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and subjecting the birds to unnecessary suffering.

Three of the birds died and a post-mortem revealed they had suffered from marked dehydration and heat prostration. One also had a fractured wing. Ng admitted to AVA officers that he knew that the import of the birds was prohibited. He could have been fined up to $10,000 or jailed up to a year on each offence.

The court heard that Ng works in Johor and often visits his wife, who is also Malaysian but lives and works here.

Court papers state that birds can be imported only from countries that are free of bird flu and they must be quarantined for 21 days before being allowed in. AVA also requires them to be transported in containers that comply with international air transport standards. This means the cages are well ventilated with perches for the birds to rest and there is sufficient food and water.