A photo has popped up online of a Federal Minister and a Sabah UMNO leader sitting at a dinner table on which endangered sea turtle eggs were being served.
Naturally, the image has gone viral on social media and public outrage has been pretty much instantaneous.
The photo, posted by the official Facebook page of Sabahan wildlife biodiversity research initiative Danau Girang Field Centre, shows Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Beluran UMNO division chief James Ratib having dinner at a Barisan Nasional event, with a plate of boiled turtle eggs clearly seen on their table:
As of the time of this writing, the Facebook post has generated more than 1,800 Shares, with comments still streaming in from incredulous and outraged Malaysians condemning the disregard for an endangered species.
Turtles were gazetted as a protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Enactment in 1997.
Harvesting, selling or consuming turtle eggs in the state is classified as an offence, and those found guilty of doing so can be fined up to RM50,000, up to five years imprisonment, or both.
In response to the outrage, Ismail denied that he ate any turtle eggs during th event.
Via a text message sent to The Star Online‘s Dina Murad, the minister said, “I actually don’t eat turtle eggs at all, as they are high in cholesterol.”
Ismail added that he only ate fish during the dinner, and did not know what eggs were served at the table.
UMNO leader Ratib, meanwhile, denied outright that any turtle eggs were served during the dinner in question, despite the photographic evidence.
When asked what eggs were seen on the dinner table in the photo, Ratib replied simply, “I don’t know.”
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Majnun said an investigation had been launched following the publication of the photo.
“The Sabah Wildlife Department is probing this matter,” he said.
