The Tioman Development Authority (TDA) yesterday refuted the speculation that dirty condition of the house had lured the large monitor lizard to enter and attack the eight-month-old baby girl in Pulau Tioman on Monday. 
    
TDA general manager Hashim Mat Tahir said it was impossible for the area to be dirty as the house was located within the Berjaya Resort area, where cleanliness was a high priority. 
    
"It is impossible for the house to be dirty because I was made to understand that it is located within the resort area, which is frequented by both local and foreign tourists, I'm sure that the resort has maintained highest cleanliness standards," he told reporters in Kuantan.
    
He said this in response to the opinions of veterinary experts who did not rule out the possibility that the lizard had entered the house and attacked the baby girl, Nur Hidayah Abdul Rahman, because of the dirty conditions. 
    
The baby girl received 50 stitches after being bitten in the face and head by the lizard after she was placed on the kitchen floor by her mother, Nor Raudah Abdullah, 38, at their home at around 10am on Monday. 
    
Meanwhile, Kampung Tekek village head, Zulkarnain A Hamid, when contacted, also refuted the allegation that unsystematic waste disposal process at the resort was responsible of luring the animal out in the open. 
    
"The waste are being disposed of in a proper manner, but sometimes, lizards tend to ransack the garbage bins to find food," he said. 
    
Nevertheless, he also expressed hope that the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) would find a way to reduce the number of wild animals to prevent it from being a threat to the residents and tourists in the resort island.
 
- Bernama