Senior Officer Of Sabah Wildlife Department Responds To Staff Selfies With Sexual Innuendos

By Quinny Tan  •  25 Oct 2021 in News

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The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) is currently facing a case of sexual misconduct and misappropriation of funds, and it all started with a “joke” on social media.

The “joke” was posted on Facebook by the accused senior officer along with a picture of three of his female colleagues with a questionable caption. Check it out:

The senior officer apologised after the post garnered some attention, but it was too late as a former employee came forward and shared on a Facebook post of her own.

Carolina Zu, who left her position at SWD in 2019, posted her resignation letter on Facebook addressed to Tuan Augustine Tuuga, Director of the SWD.

The post explicitly mentioned that it was a toxic environment to work in under the same senior officer’s management.

“Maybe it is about time I make this public,” reads the caption.

The letter describes several occasions where the senior officer exhibited signs of misappropriating funds meant for SWD’s Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU).

In the letter, the former WRU staff alleged there was a “tense and hostile work environment” in the WRU. She also claimed that salaries were not paid in full.

The funds were allegedly used to entertain guests and staff instead of on WRU, and employees had to fork out money from their own pockets to fund the rescue missions.

She said that the department owed one of her colleagues approximately RM10,000. The debt remained unsettled when he left the company in 2018.

“If anyone has ever wondered why I never complained or said anything about my horrible time at the Wildlife Rescue Unit. Guess what? I did and no one cared, even after Diana took her own life working for this hell of an organisation”

For an unknown reason, Carolina also mentioned that those in the WRU team had to send in daily selfies to the Whatsapp group chat.

The senior officer would then publicly harass female staff with inappropriate comments, and sexual innuendos. Additionally, anyone who refused will be called out and told off by the senior officer.

A group of 38 civil society organisations and 289 individuals have since petitioned the state government to take firm action against him and probe allegations of embezzlement at WRU.

TRP reported that the senior officer, now relieved of his duties, is being investigated for his lewd remarks on social media.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin also took notice of this and said that the issue was being investigated and disciplinary action was being taken against the senior officer.

“The ministry will never compromise and will take stern action against any staff who takes advantage and abuses their position.”

The department is also looking into claims of misappropriation of funds although they said that the matter had been previously investigated and there were no complaints by donors over the use of funds.