Sabah Wildlife Laws: Protected Species & Penalties
How does Sabah protect its wildlife?
Sabah protects its wildlife mainly through the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, enforced by the Sabah Wildlife Department. The law lists Totally Protected species such as the Bornean elephant, orangutan and pangolin. Hunting one carries a fine of RM50,000 to RM250,000 and one to five years in prison. Forest habitats are governed separately under the Forest Enactment 1968.
The Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997
Sabah safeguards its remarkable biodiversity chiefly through the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997. This is the central piece of state wildlife law, and it sets out which species are protected, what counts as an offence against them, and the penalties that follow. Enforcement sits with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), the agency responsible for investigating offences and managing the state's protected animals.
The enactment matters because Sabah is home to species found in few other places on earth, several of which are under serious threat. By naming protected species and attaching real consequences to harming them, the law gives the state a clear basis for protecting animals like the orangutan and the pygmy elephant. For residents, visitors and businesses, the message is straightforward: certain animals are legally protected, and interfering with them carries significant penalties.
This page explains Sabah's wildlife and forest laws in plain terms for general understanding only. It is not legal advice. If you face a specific situation — a permit question, an enforcement matter, or any dealing involving protected species — consult a qualified Sabah-admitted lawyer or contact the Sabah Wildlife Department or Sabah Forestry Department directly.
Protected species in Sabah
The Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 has two main lists. Schedule 1 names the Totally Protected animals, which may not be hunted at all. It lists 13:
- Bornean elephant (the pygmy elephant)
- Orangutan
- Proboscis monkey
- Sun bear
- Sunda pangolin
- Sumatran rhinoceros
- Sunda clouded leopard
- Banteng
- Dugong
- False gharial
- Green turtle, hawksbill turtle and olive ridley turtle
Schedule 2 lists a much longer set of Protected animals that may only be hunted under a licence from the Sabah Wildlife Department. It includes eight hornbill species, among them the rhinoceros hornbill and helmeted hornbill, as well as gibbons, slow lorises and tarsiers (Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, Schedules 1 and 2, reference copy December 2017, checked 7 October 2026). A report on an October 2026 Sessions Court case describes the pangolin as Totally Protected under Schedule 1, Part I, No. 13 (Sabah Media, checked 7 October 2026).
These species are emblematic of Sabah's rainforests, rivers and coasts, and several are recognised globally as threatened. Their inclusion under the enactment means they cannot be hunted, harmed or traded freely, and that any offence involving them is treated seriously by the authorities. For visitors, the simplest rule is to observe these animals only in the wild or at recognised conservation sites, and never to capture, harm or buy products derived from them.
Penalties for hunting and trafficking
The penalties were raised by an amendment in force from 1 September 2016. Under section 25(3) of the enactment:
- Totally Protected animal (Schedule 1): a fine of RM50,000 to RM250,000 and imprisonment of one to five years. Both apply.
- Protected animal hunted without a licence (Schedule 2 or 3): a fine of RM50,000 to RM100,000, or imprisonment of six months to five years, or both.
On conviction, the court can also order anything used in the offence to be forfeited to the state (section 102) (Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, checked 7 October 2026). In October 2026 the Lahad Datu Sessions Court fined a man RM200,000 and jailed him for one year for possessing three live pangolins, a Totally Protected species under Schedule 1. The report says he pleaded guilty under section 41(1), and that section 41(4)(a) sets a fine of RM50,000 to RM250,000 and one to five years in prison (Sabah Media, checked 7 October 2026).
Malaysia has no single federal wildlife law that overrides Sabah's enactment. The federal International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 applies throughout Malaysia, including Sabah, and covers the import, export and re-export of species listed under CITES. Smuggling wildlife into or out of Malaysia through Sabah can therefore also be charged under federal law (UNODC, Criminal justice response to wildlife crime in Malaysia, 2017, checked 7 October 2026).
Conservation programmes
Alongside enforcement, Sabah runs active conservation programmes that work to protect and recover threatened species. These include the Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme (KOCP), which focuses on orangutans along the Kinabatangan; pygmy elephant translocation programmes, which move elephants away from conflict areas to safer habitat; and hornbill nesting box programmes, which support hornbill breeding by providing artificial nest sites.
These programmes show that wildlife protection in Sabah is not only about penalties but also about practical, on-the-ground recovery work. Conservation efforts of this kind complement the law: where the enactment deters harm, programmes like KOCP and the translocation and nesting-box schemes actively help populations survive and recover. For visitors interested in supporting conservation, engaging with recognised, lawful programmes and sites is the responsible way to do so.
Forest reserves and the Forest Enactment
Wildlife depends on habitat, and Sabah's forests are governed by their own law: the Forest Enactment 1968 (Sabah), which oversees forest reserves and is enforced by the Sabah Forestry Department. About 3.6 million hectares, 48.6% of Sabah's land, is gazetted as Forest Reserve (SE-RAMP 2040, p.131, citing the Sabah Forestry Department, checked 7 October 2026). The enactment sets seven classes of forest reserve, including protection forests (Class I), commercial forests (Class II, timber supply), amenity forests (Class IV), virgin jungle reserves (Class VI) and wildlife reserves (Class VII). No logging licence may be issued for Class I, VI or VII reserves (Forest Enactment 1968, sections 5 and 15, checked 7 October 2026).
One notable example is the Deramakot Forest Reserve, which is managed under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. First certified in 1997, Deramakot was recertified in March 2024 until 20 March 2029 (FMT, checked 7 October 2026), after disruptions mainly caused by the Covid-19 pandemic (FSC Malaysia, checked 7 October 2026). The forest classes and certification together illustrate how Sabah balances strict protection, regulated timber use and managed recreation — all of which shape the habitat on which the state's protected species ultimately rely.