A singer has pleaded not guilty to two charges related to keeping a sunbear cub, a protected species, without a permit and for keeping the animal in a non-conducive environment.
Deputy public prosecutor Munirah Zainal Abidin requested Zarith be denied bail on the account of the seriousness of the crime and the potential that the accused would disturb witnesses.Lawyer Datuk Mohd Haaziq Pillay Abdullah, who was representing Zarith pro bono, asked for her bail to be set at lower amount, saying that she only earned RM3,500 on average a month at her job as a singer and that she also has to support her parents.
If found guilty under Section 86 of the Wildlife Protection Act 2010, a person can be fined no less than RM5,000 and not exceeding RM50,000, or jailed for no more than one year; or both.