Praises on Sabah's move to ban shark trade

Sabah's bold decision to restrict the shark fin trade next year moved an individual so much that he decided to write a thank you letter, and got more than a dozen concerned Malaysians to put their signatures on it.
Datuk Michelle Yeoh is one of those who think that Sabah has done the right thing, and gladly put her signature on a letter of thanks drafted by Kirk Lee, founder of the Save Our Sharks From A Bowl Of Soup movement.

The letter, a copy of which was made available to The Star, was sent to the state government on Monday and was addressed to its Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.
 

Other than Yeoh, other names on the letter include former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, Petaling Jaya Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, model Amber Chia, actor Patrick Teoh, producer Nell Ng and deejay Xandria Ooi.

A swimming instructor, Lee told The Star that the letter was meant as a reminder to Sabah that the world is watching whether the state will make good its pledge by amending its relevant laws to prohibit the capture of sharks and trading of their fins in the state.

A recreational diver, Lee described himself as a “typical Chinese who loves good food”, until he saw a video that stunned him on how his bowl of shark fin soup was made.
Like Lee, Ooi's “conversion” was no less dramatic.“I was in high school when I found out how shark fins were harvested and it completely bewildered me as to why humans would go to great lengths of cruelty just to serve a dish in a restaurant.“If we think about it logically, there is absolutely no reason to consume shark fins, other than the old adage of prestige',” she said.

Anti-shark fin activists have been notching up many victories recently, with the revered Peninsula Hotel chain announcing last month that it would stop serving the dish from next year.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/14/nation/10088438&sec=nation

Green Sabah says: Good job to the Sabah State government for their initiatives to ban Shark Fin trade, they have done the right thing to help preserve our sharks to prevent them from going extinct. Its great to see that there are many people within the country who also supported this move. Bravo.