SIBU: A giant crocodile measuring 17 feet 4 inches was successfully captured at Jambatan Durin, Batang Rejang, here on Wednesday night (Aug. 26), but the operation has also raised questions over how crocodile-catching efforts are being handled.
Licensed crocodile catcher, Jeferry Siew, said his frontline team had consistently followed the required standard operating procedures (SOP) and cooperated with the relevant authorities during its operations.
He said the team was prepared to accept supervision, investigation and correction if it was found to have breached any rules or procedures.
“However, what concerns us is that the same SOP appears to be applied under different standards to different teams,” he said in his Facebook posting.
Siew questioned why his team had repeatedly been ordered to stop operations even when a crocodile was believed to have posed a threat to the local community.
“We communicate, we cooperate and we accept supervision. But when the crocodile has already posed a threat to the local community, and our frontline team is willing to take the risks, we are repeatedly told to stop,” he said.
He stressed that the team was not opposed to supervision or investigation, but wanted any concerns over its operations to be addressed transparently.
“If we have violated any rules, show us the evidence. If we have violated the SOP, tell us. We are prepared to accept an investigation and accept correction where necessary,” he said.
“But if we have not violated any rules, why does the same SOP appear to be applied under different standards to different teams?”
Siew said the team was raising the matter publicly not to attack any government department or create conflict, but to seek a reasonable and transparent explanation.
He said those who were present during the operation, as well as local residents who witnessed the situation, could provide their own accounts of what had happened.
“The same crocodile, the same danger and the same SOP. So why do different teams appear to receive different treatment?” he asked.
Siew said the team did not seek recognition for its work, but hoped that those willing to take risks to protect the community would be given a fair and procedural opportunity to act when there was a genuine threat.
“We are not trying to be heroes. We simply hope that when the community is genuinely facing danger, those who are willing to step forward and take the risks are given a fair, transparent and procedural opportunity to act,” he said.
He added that community safety should remain the priority.
“If we are wrong, correct us. If we are not wrong, give the community an explanation. Community safety should never become a bargaining chip in any dispute or conflict,” he said.
The successful capture of the 17-foot 4-inch crocodile highlights the risks faced by frontline personnel involved in dealing with crocodile threats in areas along the Batang Rejang.
