There is a worrying trend of rising animal mistreatment in Malaysia. Cruel treatment of an animal harms a sentient being. This act of animal cruelty is not unintentional. Given that it is a deliberate act against a living person, it is just as severe of a crime as others like burglary. It’s time for animal cruelty to have the same heavy legal penalties as other crimes.
To the best of your Knowledge:
| In 10th July 2023 | Recent Case: Three male suspects, between the ages of 40-53, who were bus drivers, fishermen, and cargo agents in Penang are reportedly seen on surveillance footage killing an injured dog. What Happened: The stray dog was struck by a motorcycle after crossing a dimly lighted road. The injured dog then ducked down into the drain to hide itself. A leaked video showed two individuals hitting and poking a helpless dog with what seemed to be long sticks (a wooden club). The dog moaned in terrible pain at first as it was struck by the blunt objects, but after being whacked numerous more times, its cries ceased. Another video revealed the aftermath of the men’s brutality by displaying the dog’s lifeless corpse lying on the ground. |
| In 15th August 2022 | Animal rights activists criticised the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) for allegedly hurting a puppy during an animal control operation. According to Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM), it was made aware of a complaint after viewing a video in which a dog was injured after being captured by MPK enforcement personnel. The dog was shown bleeding from its snout while being kept on a leash in the infamous 19-second footage. A number of locals could be heard berating the law enforcement personnel for harming the dog. |
| In 2021 | Several CCTV images and footage went viral, showing a man shooting a dog with a bow and arrow and killing it on Lorong 3, Seberang Jalan Putra, in Alor Setar, Kedah. The video showed the man taking out the bow and arrow from the back seat of a car and shooting the dog as it was relieving itself about three metres away from him. |
| In 2019, somewhere in August | According to videos that went trendy on social media, a dog was discovered dead with two arrows poking out of its body. |
| In September 2018 | A Malaysian man was given a two-year prison sentence for killing a pregnant cat at a laundromat, which may be one of the most shocking animal mistreatment cases in Malaysia. Due to the fact that this case involved torturing a helpless animal, it is of public concern. Society does not tolerate this mentality. Malaysians were outraged by the CCTV clip that went viral. Canines, especially stray dogs, have also been killed by torture in addition to cats and kittens. For example, in 2018, a dog was seen being dragged by a lorry along the Seberang Jaya highway in Penang. |
| In 2014 | Local police were reportedly looking for a guy who was thought to have killed a dog with an arrow, according to a Malaysian media organisation. A guy was seen using a bow and arrow to shoot wild canines early one weekday morning in a CCTV clip that went viral on social media. |
What legislation Malaysia has in place to safeguard animals?
ANIMAL ACT 1953: An Act to amend and consolidate the laws for preventing the introduction into, and the spreading within, Malaysia of diseases of animals; for the control of the movement of animals into, within and from Malaysia; for the control of the slaughter of animals; for the prevention of cruelty to animals; for measures pertaining to the general welfare, conservation and improvement of animals in Malaysia; and for purposes connected there with the purpose of this Act is to control the import and export of animals and birds; to prevent the spreading of diseases; to prevent cruelty to animals; to control the movement or slaughter of livestock; and to conserve and improve the general welfare of animals. Any person wishing to import or export any animal or bird shall apply for a licence to a State Director and act in accordance with the licence’s conditions. It shall be prohibited to import or export diseased animals or birds. The Act makes provision for the disposal of animals which have died from disease, and for the declaration of infected areas, disease control areas and disease eradication areas. Other provisions relate to dogs, dog licences, rabies infected areas, anti-rabies vaccination. The Act further provides for the following: penalties for cruelty to any beast, bird, fish, reptile or insect, whether wild or tame; licensing, control, supervision and inspection of places in which animals or birds are or may be kept in captivity for sale, export or exhibition; powers of search, seizure and arrest on behalf of any veterinary authority or veterinary police officer; etc
The examples of “animal cruelty” in Malaysian law have been spread out into 21 items in Section 29 of the act. This includes beating, mutilation, neglect, use of cruel equipment, shooting for sport, and animal fights. Offenders under this section are liable to between RM20,000 and RM100,000 in fines and/or 3 years of imprisonment.
However, there are 3 exceptions to this:
- Where the act is an accepted veterinary management practice; or
- Where the act involves pest control or disease control; or
- Where animals are being fed to another animal within natural eating habits
While there are still a lot more that can be included in the act, the amendment has made significant changes to laws that are meant to protect animals in Malaysia due to growing demand by the public and to promote kindness towards animals as well. Remember that animals have rights too. The AWA provides regulations to: prevent unnecessary cruelty and slaughter, control transportation and selling, control and prevent disease, and general issues relating to animal welfare and conservation. There are also total bans on some inherently cruel activities such as animal fighting and baiting. The Malaysian Animal Act, which has ill-defined provisions and disappointing punitive fines and punishments, is used in conjunction with the Malaysian Animal Welfare. inhumane treatment is punishable by an RM 200 fine and/or up to 6 months in jail. The Animal Act of 1953 gave the Malaysian Department of Vet Services Enforcement section the power to look into and prosecute anybody who violated the law. Penalties under the MAWA (2015) range from a fine of RM20,000 to RM100,000 for up to three years in jail. There is an Animal Welfare Board and an Animal Welfare Commission within the MAWA. The Animal Welfare Board oversees the work of animal protection organizations, requires licenses for everyone who uses animals in the course of their business, outlaws breeding animals for scientific or educational purposes, forbids the shooting of stray dogs, and gives courts the authority to permanently bar any owner or licensee from keeping an animal.
Did you know that 1,654,545,000,000 (1 trillion, 654 billion, 545 million) animals die each year from animal abuse?
Animal abuse is a major problem worldwide, thus that is why I chose this topic for discussion. Many people abuse animals; thus, I believe that this specific topic is very crucial. I believe that treating animals cruelly is wrong since it can lead to serious health issues, death, and lifelong trauma.
Each year, millions of animals are brutally murdered for various purposes and in various ways. Only the newest hair gel or lipstick is tested on more than 25 million vertebrate animals, including monkeys, chimps, beagles and other canines, cats, rabbits, mice, birds, and farm animals. In order to produce fur for items like fur coats, boots, hats, rugs, and scarves, more than 30 million mink, foxes, chinchillas, and other animals are murdered each year on fur farms. In the United States, 10 billion domesticated land animals are butchered annually, or 27 million every day and 19000 per minute in places like puppy mills and poultry farms.
Do you agree that animals should be forced to endure such suffering every day only for fur coats and lipstick?
Even after being rescued, animals that have experienced abuse may remain traumatized for the rest of their lives. They can feel uneasy eating in front of others. When threatened, they may occasionally bite or snarl. Sadly, some animals have no hope of being able to live a normal life and therefore need to be put to sleep. No living thing should have to endure that; thus this shouldn’t be occurring.
How to gather STRONG evidences of animal abuse reports to Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM)
- Videos and photos are strong evidence to make a case against the abusers in court.
- Make sure to collect information about abusers name, full address, incident location / address or other information such as vehicle number.
- If you do not have abusers name or exact address, please make sure you have abusers image or location of the incident that you can send to us via WHATSAPP.
- Please collect reliable information for the case before reporting, to make sure we are not misleading the case before starting the investigation.
- You may contact directly via WHATSAPP @ 016-266 2007 or email at enquiry@animal.org.my
- You can also submit your enquiry through our CONTACT FORM here.
END OF THE LINE:
In a nutshell, animal cruelty is wrong because it puts animals in danger of dying, suffering severe issues, and being affected negatively for the rest of their lives. They shouldn’t have to endure this daily. Nothing else should exist. Since they are living beings, they too have emotions. You shouldn’t lash out at the animal if you have issues that you need to deal. Animal cruelty is abhorrent, should never be done, and is a violent crime.
If you love animals, there is always something you can do to help them, no matter how small!
The people, who dedicate their time to rescue, are our HEROES.
THANK YOU
