By Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today
"People high up in Perhilitan are protecting Wong. Now that he has been arrested, we want the fullest force of the law used against him. This man should be put behind bars, he is a danger to international wildlife," Surendran said.
KUALA LUMPUR: Notorious animal smuggler “Lizard King” Anson Wong was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Thursday while he was on transit from Penang to Jakarta. Wong, nicknamed “ Pablo Escobar of the wildlife trade” after the Colombian drug lord, is said to be the biggest global animal dealer.
It is believed that Malaysia Airlines security staff, who had been alerted, detained him after a piece of his luggage was broken. Wong has been remanded until Tuesday.
Some 100 snakes were found in his luggage, including boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and one matamata turtle.
Said to be one of the world's most-wanted smugglers of wild animals, Wong was sentenced to 71 months in jail in the US in 2000 after he pleaded guilty to trafficking charges.
Animal rights groups have demanded the resignations of Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah, and Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) top leaders.
However, Perhilitan, now in charge of investigations, has not commented on the incident, but sources said it is attempting to track Wong's network.
Malaysian Animal Rights Society president N Surendran blamed the ministry and Perhilitan for "allowing" Wong to continue his trade after he was jailed in the US.
"The minister... and all top level Perhilitan officers should resign en bloc," Surendran said.
"This is the biggest embarrassment to our country for allowing the biggest wildlife trafficker on earth to trade freely,” he said.
“Malaysia has allowed him to use Penang as a base and although reports were lodged with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, nothing was done, " Surendran said, adding that while Wong was in prison, Perhilitan had allegedly renewed his licence to trade.
"He was allowed to continue trading when he came back. Besides, he was allowed to operate two private zoos which are nothing more than wildlife trafficking hubs," he said.
Sting operation
He said while the US had spent a lot of efforts in the the sting operation, the Perhilitan deputy director-general Misliah Mohamad Basir still signed his licence.

written by BAYANGKARA, August 29, 2010 23:03:33
If what you say is true (anyway what research have you done?), is it so vile that Buddhists and NGOs are less vocal on animal issues even without considering that they constantly give welfare aid locally and humanitarian aid worldwide? There is a time and place for everything. Everyone has different priorities, abilities and capacities.
I still don't see your quarrel with Buddhists.
Now you even question the right of 50 people to have a place of worship of their own.Are you in favour of closing down the thousands of little Taoist, Buddhist and Hindu temples throughout the country?? Isn't the right to worship enshrined in the Malaysian Constituton and a universal human right?
Sorry to say, you sound more and more like a "Christian" version of Ibrahim Ali.
written by Better My, August 29, 2010 17:35:17
Better My,
Please don't bring in religion. Your comments against another religion is wholly unnecessary and unjustifiable. I don't know what axe you were grinding. Every religion teaches compassion, to both humans and animals. Perhaps more so in Buddhism which discourages the taking of a life.
It is dangerous to make sweeping statements and stereotype people according to race and religion. If you remember what I wrote here after the Hulu Selangor bye election, I asked a Christian "brother" to join me to help PR in the elections and his answer was, "I have to serve God." I hope he doesn't forget to say a little pray for the restoration of justice, peace and harmony for all Malaysians. "
Thank you for engaging in buddhists and animals cruelty, as in this case.
In my head, the re-incarnation issue of human into insects or aninals is very pronounced in Buddhism, more so than Christiniaty and Islam. I have seen many clips of Buddhists taking great care of all animlas and insects. I just CAN''T reconcile their strongest beliefs in compassion to animals and the reluctance of them to speak on so many compasison issues, including this one and issues involving compassions for humans. Are they a separate class of people who enjoy special priviledges of riding on others backs and talking through their foot on animal & human protection ? Seem to be that way.
Are there only 1-2 Buddhist temples in malysia with less than 50 followers? No
Since Jan 10, have you heard from any Buddhist association NGOs coming out to talk about this issue? None. Have you heard of Christian pastors and good muslim clerics/inman/mufti coming to talk about compasisonate issues, and posted in MT? Yes. The christian are reasonably active in trying to get their members to register to vote come election time or other times,posted in MT.
There will be christian or Buddhists who say "I have to serve God" and then run away to hide. They are parasite riding on the good force that give them the way of life as it is. These, I have come across quite a few. But lets find out about the Buddhist norm - what is their position in all of this?
I am NOT advocating that the Buddhist or the christian demand, like Perkasa muslim, on the many minute religous protocols that are mxing relgiion with politics. I am asking them to speak up on compasionate grounds. For example, speak out on animal cruelty, social issues and human cruelty when they crop up in discussions - there are so many.
Tell me what the many Buddhist & NGos have done? In my mind, None.
I stand to be corrected I welcome Buddhist religous people to correct my perception of a parasitical image of them in Malaysia.
This writer is in fulll support of Tibetan and their monks to decide the fate of their own Tibet country and full support of lifting all the many marginalised Buddhists, in malaysia , for assurance of their places of worhship, higher standards of livings and greater paricipation in malaysian activities with all other races. Living in their Buddhist enclaves in Malaysia, oblivious of the happenings and the incompassion, constantly rearing its ugle heads, is poor indictment /failure of the buddhist people to live with others to advance the cuase of good ethcs.
written by Kaneeneh, August 29, 2010 17:05:06
written by BAYANGKARA, August 29, 2010 16:42:08
Please don't bring in religion. Your comments against another religion is wholly unnecessary and unjustifiable. I don't know what axe you were grinding. Every religion teaches compassion, to both humans and animals. Perhaps more so in Buddhism which discourages the taking of a life. By the way, Buddhism is not just chanting and incense-burning. Perhaps, knowing more will lessen your hate and venom.
For me, I am willing to learn more of other religions, though nominally I live the Buddhist way of life. My attitude is: teach me what you know, what ever you call it.
There are many paths to God. A Tibetan lama once said, "Open your heart and awaken your mind, and you'll be there."
It is dangerous to make sweeping statements and stereotype people according to race and religion. If you remember what I wrote here after the Hulu Selangor bye election, I asked a Christian "brother" to join me to help PR in the elections and his answer was, "I have to serve God." I hope he doesn't forget to say a little pray for the restoration of justice, peace and harmony for all Malaysians.
written by a guest, August 29, 2010 16:23:53
written by KSKimmy, August 29, 2010 15:02:27
For all you people that do not know.. Malaysia was featured in National Geographic January 2010 curtesy of Mr Wong and co starring the Forestry Dept.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic....risty-text
You cannot get anymore higher than a special feature in National Geographic.. Right or wrong reason, I did not see any news from the BN Gov soon after the feature. Maybe Najibby is like his predecessor, sleeping or "tak tahu".
I was utterly shamed. Please pass the link around and make the current numbskulls pay for peddling endangered species to the world.
written by Alice, August 29, 2010 13:56:30
written by jokersland, August 29, 2010 13:49:16
Pleased don't drag religions into this issue. From your comment, you are in the same league as Ibrahim Ali.
written by Better My, August 29, 2010 13:29:15
I am sure many have seen the uttter compassion that Buddshits show for the animal kingdom on TVs, including shooing away cockcroaches in houses, insteads of insecticiding/bombing & butchering them, as many of us do, since they believe in human re-incarnation of human in the form of all forms of animals, along that line. Now we have the case of gross anti-animal monster Wong doing the harm to the animals by taking them from their natural habitats.
If these buddhists or buddhist NGOs don't even come up to condemn in strongest terms, they are really full of hypocrisy/crap of the high order. The burning jossticks incense are a sad indictment of their continuing unabated hypocrisy. Their beliefs are based on near fraud teachings which they dont believe in themselves to make the stand for the compassion to animals AND also fellow human beings who are so hurt and scarred by todays bad governance.
Can the Buddhists be involved in speaking for good things? Yes, I have asked personally Buddhist guru of the " mahayanna(?) sect who holds chanting buddhist learning classes. Buddhist can involve themselves in good ethics speeches but in Mlaysia, they are like stale tofu, like parasites to the good force people. Not even a call for registration for buddhist voters has ever beeing heard in MT, I believe, like the christians have done.
Will the good compassinate buddhist/NGOs , please stand up?
Your silence on issue of ethics, and in this case on animals cruelty, are deafening. Otherwise, whats the points of praying constantly in your temples when you are not doing good things today. Enough of praying for your insurance and lotto strike riches - do something for the nation, do it now when it counts.
There are ugly words/names for parasites or those doing nothing but riding on others to do the job for them, like the present Buddhist/Buddhist NGOs When they are listed in future, you will go and hide under your kitchen sink thereafter.
written by SoundMan, August 29, 2010 12:18:47
the Perhilitan deputy director-general Misliah Mohamad Basir still signed his licence.
UMNO arranged this Misliah as DDG to collect corrupt monies on their behalf, mah ! How to get more funds except from crooks like animal smuggler “Lizard King” Anson Wong.
This 'Lizard King' must be put in prison as he has done a criminal activity. Now the ball is in DDG Misliah's court..
written by Better My, August 29, 2010 11:34:26
Yes, this Wong deserves the strongest condemnation and must be barted from this trade for cruelty to native animals that have not caused harm to the public. Those responsible for Wong to coninue to trade must be held fully responsible and resign en bloc, unless an acceptable reason is forthcoming. This is one step we take to head towards a more caring society to animals AND ALSO all helpless and marginalised fellow human beings for decades.
While this Malaysian Animal Rights Society NGO has spoken on the few published breaches on animals, the FECTed bar council has kept their silence on the MANY breaches of the laws, just about occuring every day. They must to resign en bloc as they are F useless, only good at rubbing shoulders with others for personal gains. If they are not gone nex few months or before the next GE, they must be forced to tender their resignations en bloc, because they have bloods on their hands. You can;t just be Pontious Pilate wahing your hands off this law breaches. When you./we look at law certification hanging on your walls, they are really shame display of your law conviction. You should hang your heads in shame with inFECTious diseases symptoms on your foreheads
The chinese Chamber of Commerce and ICC NGO pretenders are also pretenders to stemning corruption, re recent report in MT. Their pathetic attempts make a mockery of their postions in their chambers. They deserve to get the F tag too.
All NGOs must speak up directly or indirectly to advance the cause of good ethics/compassions and good governance today when it counts. Otherwise, you have done your duties to go with the present flow to do the right things by all good rakyat and the nations.
written by Khan, August 29, 2010 11:07:53
p.s. Red1 ....ur apathy over wong's action of smuggling out precious wild life is appalling!


























Shut your gap up about religion !!! What do you know about Buddhism eh ???
Are you a christian ??? Why are there so many break a ways in Christianity ???
Believe you believe in and let others be.
Don't try to be a saint !!!!
Leave religion alone !!!! You can argue till the cows don't come home !!!
Catch my drift !!!