WWFM: Don't eat exotic meat

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http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/9/7/nation/mkwwf & sec=nat

ion

 

Saturday, September 07, 2002

WWFM: Don’t eat exotic meat

 

By MANJIT KAUR

 

PENANG: World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWFM) has urged Malaysians to

steer away from food outlets serving the meat of protected wildlife species.

 

WWFM executive director Datuk Dr Mikaail Kavanagh Abdullah said people

should learn to “say no” and walk out of such places if they were offered or

served such meat.

 

“Some people will do anything for money, to the extent of cleaning up the

whole forest of animals.”

 

“People are going all out to kill these animals because there is demand for

such meat. Those selling will go on doing so to fulfil their customers’

needs,” he said after launching a photo exhibition at the Loh Guan Lye

Specialists Centre here yesterday.

 

The hospital bought 25 pictures depicting nature and wildlife from WWFM as

part of its charity programme.

 

Dr Kavanagh said there were many restaurants throughout the country which

specialised in “exotic meat”, serving the flesh of tigers, deer, snakes and

civet cats.

 

He said that the public should report such cases to the authorities.

 

“Malacca, Penang, Cameron Highlands, Subang Jaya in Selangor and Grik in

Perak are some of the towns where there are food outlets serving such meat,’

’ he said.

 

He said WWFM, set up 30 years ago, had been sharing the message of nature

conservation with Malaysians.

 

Also present were the hospital’s chairman Datin Lily Loh, its chief

operating officer Dr Mary C.H. Quah and WWFM’s head of communications Teoh

Teik Hoong and the Penang Municipal Council’s acting secretary Ooi Chin Loo.