‘’Otak-otak’’, a commonly found fish cake in Singapore, is a familiar snack for many. However, when your ‘’Otak-otak’’ seemingly comes ‘alive’ with chirping sounds, it certainly makes one stare in disbelief for a second.



‘‘Otak-otak’’ that chirps!

2 On 24 August 2009 at about 1305hrs, a 58-year old Indonesian man carrying two plastic bags was trying to leave the Arrival Baggage Hall when he arrived at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. He was, however, directed by the officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for routine inspection. A box was found in his possession in one of the plastic bags. Upon questioning, he told the ICA officers that his box contained ‘’Otak-otak’’. As the traveler looked nervous, the ICA officers decided to conduct further checks. Upon lifting the ‘’Otak-otak’’ from the box, the ICA officers uncovered three smaller trays containing the little feathered ones, chirping softly within each tray.



One of the trays used to contain the live birds

3 There were three trays containing a total of 50 live Mata Puteh birds found inside the box. The case has been referred to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) for further investigations.



Mata Puteh
(source: flickr.com)

4 The importation of live birds without an AVA permit is a violation of the Animals and Birds Act, which carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 1 year.

5 Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The enhanced security checks are critical to our nation’s security. We have tightened our security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands. In view of the potential danger of avian flu, we would like to advise the public against the smuggling of birds, poultry and poultry products into Singapore.


IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
25 August 2009