Bryan Christy

No journalist in Malaysia has done more on the illegal wildlife trade, including Anson Wong, than Hilary Chiew.  Below is her take on her meeting Anson Wong and her reasons why Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment cannot fix the wildlife department.

BTW, the suggestion that a lawsuit would answer the question how Anson Wong was able to smuggle for decades is a ruse to divert attention from a proper inquiry, and a threat to journalists, NGOs and Malaysian citizens who expose crimes. 

By endorsing a lawsuit, the Ministry is saying it denies the facts of The Kingpin story, denies the facts of Anson Wong’s U.S. confession, denies that the wildlife department has never once brought a material case against Anson Wong, and denies what NGOs and newspapers in Malaysia have reported for years: that species from all over the world are smuggled through Malaysia, making it a global wildlife trafficking hub.  The problem is obvious.  As Hilary Chiew suggests below, the Ministry appears to “lack competent personnel” along with “political will and determination.”

Constricted by Boas–The Fall of Anson Wong

By Hilary Chiew 

COMMENT “I don’t want to go to jail again.” — Those were the words uttered by Anson Wong slightly over a year ago to me.

I was confident that he said that with full knowledge that he is untouchable in Southeast Asia – one of the regions which had become a safe playground for the flamboyant wildlife trafficker.

There is an undoubted air of cockiness in Wong. His underlying message was: Catch me if you can!

From his Toshiba laptop, he nonchalantly showed photographs of him holding a Malagasy ploughshare tortoise purportedly in a market in the neighbouring Zanzibar island off Tanzania. He claimed that he was on holiday there, and declared that he has remained clean since returning from the United States sometime in 2004.

Now, what are the chances of a person who has been convicted of running a wildlife smuggling ring that specialises in rare reptiles like the endangered ploughshare tortoise taking a holiday in Zanzibar and stumbling upon the very same species far away from its native habitat? (more…)

Hundreds of news stories are appearing around the world on the jailing of wildlife tycoon Anson Wong, perhaps the first time an organized crime kingpin of endangered wildlife has been so widely identified.  Here is an opinion from Malaysia:   

Wildlife crooks deserve no mercy

ALONG THE WATCHTOWER By M.VEERA PANDIYAN (The Star, 9 Sept. 2010)
veera@thestar.com.my

We have to get tough with wildlife smugglers as the world is watching how serious we are about tackling the scourge.

FOR years, fingers have been pointed at Malaysia for being a wildlife smuggling centre. There have been allegations of corruption and collusion between rich rogues in the business and officials of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) and Customs.

Finally, a man who has almost single-handedly tainted the country as a global hub for the illegal wildlife trade has been caught red-handed.

A bag containing 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle burst on the conveyor belt at KLIA where Wong Keng Liang, 52, better known as Anson Wong, was on transit to Jakarta from Penang.

The mind boggles at the blatant bid to commit the dastardly crime. Is it that easy to board a flight at Penang airport with a bag full of boas wrapped in sarongs? Now, the six months’ jail sentence for the world’s most wanted smuggler of endangered species smacks more of a sick joke than justice. (more…)

Today, in Malaysia, judge Zulhelmy Hasan sentenced Anson Wong to 6 months jail time and fined him 191,000 MYR ($61,000) for smuggling wildlife without a permit. 

It is a significant exercise of Malaysia’s brand new wildlife law, the International Trade in Endangered Species Act, though it is only half the one-year sentence two women from Madagscar recently got under the same law.  Anson was potentially facing 1 million MYR fine and up to 7 years in jail. 

Agents seized Anson’s Nokia cell phone[s] and his Toshiba laptop computer at the airport, and though Anson’s lawyer asked for them back, the judge agreed that under the new law material related to a crime can be kept by investigators.  Anson’s cell phone and laptop offer a potential trove of info, since he communicates regularly on both with dealers around the world. 

Anson’s attorney asked for leniency since it was “his first offense in Malaysia.”  He also said Anson promised never to do it again.  For his part, Anson stood for photographs during bathroom breaks and exchanged business cards with press in the hallway.

As the prosecutor in the case said, “Malaysia has been trying to clean up its reputation as a wildlife trafficking hub, but Wong keeps ignoring that…”  He emphasized that Wong’s activities “have damaged Malaysia’s reputation.”   

Some Clips:

From The Star  From Malay Mail  From BBC  From Mongabay.com

WWF calls for his licenses to be revoked.