Minister tells MAHB to buck up amid wave of KLIA wildlife smuggling

Summary:

• Transport Minister Anthony Loke admits wildlife smuggling in KLIA is a problem.

• He tells airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad to improve its luggage screening facilities.

• SOPs on screening procedures need to be strengthened, he adds.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke has reprimanded Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) over rising cases of wildlife smuggling out of the country.

He admitted it is a serious issue and wants immediate action by the airport operator.

“Of course, these are the incidents that have happened, and we acknowledge this has to be looked into.

“This is something that we would not compromise, and the operator has to buck up.

“We already ordered MAHB to monitor the situation and will send a reminder to the operator to ensure all their luggage screening into the aircraft must go through a thorough process,” he said after officiating Sentuhan Madani digital kiosks at KL Sentral today.

Loke said he was bewildered that despite all luggage being screened, wildlife can still be taken into Malaysian airports and then depart on passenger flights.

He said the baggage handling system at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is being upgraded and MAHB is also looking into upgrading their X-ray machines.

“For KLIA, we will ensure the X-ray machine will be upgraded,” he promised.

The recent cases of wildlife smuggling involved check-in luggage, which is under the purview of MAHB’s baggage handling services and not the Customs Department.

Wildlife smuggling cases

On March 7, two airline passengers were arrested at Anna International Airport, Chennai, India, after trying to smuggle primates, a civet cat, and two polecats in suitcases from KLIA’s Terminal 1.

The incident happened on the same day Natural Resources and Environment Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad inspected KLIA’s Terminal 2 on wildlife trafficking enforcement, following a wave of busts by foreign authorities.

According to the Chennai Customs Department, two Eastern grey gibbons and one Sumatran white beard palm civet died during the journey, while the other five animals survived.

They included one silver lutung, two marbled polecats, and two Eastern grey gibbons, said Chennai International Airport’s Customs Principal Commissioner Ramanav Srinivasa Naik.

According to Indian authorities, in 2023, there were eight cases of wildlife seizures involving flights from KLIA and KLIA2, while the figure rose to 12 in 2024.

There were two other reported cases of wildlife smuggling by air passengers from Kuala Lumpur to India this year.

They involved siamang trafficked into Mumbai and pig-tailed macaques to Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, carried over in checked-in luggage.

On Feb 18, Malaysian authorities foiled an attempt by two passengers to smuggle over 4,000 pig-nosed turtles in their suitcases from KLIA to Hanoi, Vietnam.

On March 10, an airline passenger was arrested at KLIA2 when he tried to travel to Surabaya, Indonesia, with five Asian koel birds (burung sewah tahu) stuffed into PVC pipes in his checked-in luggage.

According to the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), koel birds are common in Malaysia and are prized as songbirds in Indonesia, attracting a high price on the black market there.

Raya flight subsidy

Meanwhile, on a separate matter, the transport minister said the subsidy on flight tickets from the peninsula to Sabah and Sarawak during festive seasons will apply for Hari Raya.

This will ensure a RM500 cap on base fares, not including other charges and taxes.

“The subsidy has been going on for more than a year. During all festive seasons, we have set the maximum ceiling price three to four days before the festive day, and this will also take place during Hari Raya,” he said.

Loke noted that several airlines have also taken the initiative to offer lower-priced tickets for the same routes.

“This year, I have launched the fixed price for AirAsia, Batik Air, and Malaysia Airlines. So, I thank them for this, as this is their additional incentive to what the government is doing,” he said.

He explained that the subsidy was a federal government initiative to ensure people will not be burdened by the high cost of plane tickets during the festive season.

Asked whether the subsidy will also be applied in the upcoming Sabah state election, Loke said this has yet to be discussed.

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