Tip off authorities on jumbo killings, Sabah villagers urged
Describing such killings as 'murder', the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister said the perpetrators must be brought to justice as such cruelty must not go unpunished.
'I have spoken to the Wildlife Department director. Despite our efforts, we have not been able to identify the person responsible for this cruel act, although there are some suspicions,' she told reporters at the Asean Travel Exchange 2025 launch here yesterday.
'We offered RM10,000 for any information but so far, no one has come forward. I have clearly told the department that these acts cannot go unpunished.
'Killing an elephant is murder. We absolutely cannot allow this to happen,' Liew said.
At least three cases of beheaded elephants were reported between January and April.
Investigations so far have yielded no solid evidence, and a post-mortem was not possible in the latest case due to the advanced decomposition of the carcass.
She believes the local community may hold the key to solving the killings but many are afraid to speak up.
'We are working with village heads and the district police in the area to try and obtain more information. I suspect the kampung people know but they are very hesitant to say anything. Still, I am hopeful,' she said.
Liew dismissed a theory that a crime syndicate could be behind the killings.
'I don't believe it is a syndicate. They did not take anything valuable; not the tusks, not the organs. They just cruelly chopped off the elephant's head. Very cruel.'
On whether the government would consider increasing the RM10,000 reward, she replied: 'Let's negotiate on that.'
'There have been no new incidents recently, and I truly hope it stays that way. I get very upset when these things happen. I am an animal lover and I cannot bear to see this kind of cruelty,' she said.
The Borneo pygmy elephant, which is native to Sabah, is a fully protected species under state law, with an estimated population of just 1,500.
Anyone convicted of harming or killing the animal faces a fine of up to RM250,000 and a five-year jail sentence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Cleaned out: Housekeeping manager loses RM211,000 in investment scam
KUANTAN: A housekeeping manager lost RM211,000 of his savings after falling victim to a fake online investment scheme promoted on Facebook. The 49-year-old man from Kuantan transferred the money into two separate bank accounts over eight days before realising he had been duped. Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the victim saw a Facebook advertisement promoting the investment scheme on March 16, after which he communicated with a woman through WhatsApp. "The woman sweet-talked the victim into joining the investment scheme, promising high returns. "He became convinced when she provided access to what appeared to be the scheme's official investment platform." The victim made six transactions totalling RM211,000 into two separate bank accounts between June 4 and June 11. "The victim realised that he had been cheated when he was asked to make additional investments but received no returns," he said in a statement today. Yahaya said the victim, who used his savings to participate in the fraudulent scheme, lodged a police report yesterday. He urged the public to remain cautious when dealing with online investment schemes and to contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 to report financial scams.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Teen dropouts lured into working for sex scam syndicate
JOHOR: Teenage school dropouts were among those lured by supposedly high-paying jobs offered by a syndicate running a sex scam. These teenagers were recruited through social media with promises of a monthly salary of RM2,200 to RM4,000, said Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar. They were also told that they could earn up to US$2,500 (RM10,637) once they became more skilled and were sent to work abroad, he added. In reality, these recruits were trained to 'hunt' for victims via fake social media accounts and persuade them to perform sexual acts on video, he said yesterday. Comm Kumar said these recruits were confined and made to work for the syndicate for 12 hours a day. 'If they refused to cooperate, they were beaten, forced to eat chillies and subjected to sexual abuse. They were only allowed a day off after two weeks of work but even then, their movements were strictly monitored,' he said. He said the recruits' mobile phones and identification cards were confiscated by syndicate members, thus preventing them from seeking help. 'If they wanted to quit, they had to pay RM30,000 to be released from employment,' he said. Comm Kumar said the syndicate's modus operandi was to create fake social media accounts of attractive women to entice people into making sexually explicit video calls. 'During the video call, the syndicate member would persuade the victim to perform sexual acts, all of which were recorded and later used to blackmail him for money,' he said. 'The syndicate member would send phishing links to hack into the victim's mobile phone. Once the person clicked on the link, the syndicate would hack into his mobile phone, gaining access to the contact list and photo gallery.' The syndicate would then threaten to distribute the videos to the victim's entire contact list if he refused to pay up. They would attempt to extort the victim by asking for RM500 to RM1,000 each time, he said. Based on police intelligence, Comm Kumar said a series of raids were carried out between June 20 and July 1 around Johor Baru and Kulai. This led to the arrest of seven men and two women aged between 17 and 50, including the mastermind of the syndicate, which had been active since November last year. He said three recruits aged 15, 16 and 26, who had also been sexually exploited, were also rescued. He urged the public not to be easily taken in by high-paying job offers, especially those circulated on social media, and to always verify the background of these so-called companies. 'And do not be misled by the profiles of seemingly attractive women on social media, as syndicates use fake accounts to send phishing links that steal data from mobile phones before extorting from you,' he said.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Manager loses RM211,000 to fake investment scheme
KUANTAN: A hotel housekeeping manager lost RM211,000 after falling victim to a fake investment scheme he joined last month. Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the 49-year-old man first saw the investment offer on Facebook and later contacted a woman through WhatsApp. "The woman promised high returns and gave the victim a link to join the investment. "He then made six payments to two different bank accounts between June 4 and June 11 using his own savings," he said in a statement on Tuesday (July 15). The victim realised it was a scam when he was asked to make more payments but never received any returns. Yahaya said the victim lodged a police report at the Kuantan District Police Headquarters yesterday and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. – Bernama
