KOTA KINABALU – A former state assemblyman has come under fire here after a photo of a Chinese New Year reunion dinner spread that included turtle eggs went viral.
The consumption and possession of turtle eggs is illegal in Sabah.
The Vibes reached out to the former rep, who admitted he was present at the dinner.
He said the Wildlife Department has also contacted him.
He also requested anonymity.
“Yes, the Wildlife Department reached out to me and I told them what they needed to know,” he told The Vibes yesterday.
Meanwhile, the department said it has yet to receive a report over the matter.
The case is reminiscent of a 2015 incident in which then rural and regional development minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was reported to have had protected turtle eggs that were served to him for dinner at a function here.
Ismail Sabri, who is now senior minister in charge of security, later sued the publisher and editor of the Daily Express newspaper, which had reported him over the alleged incident.
The case was resolved amicably at the high court. – The Vibes, February 15, 2021
