'This is not who we are as a people': Shanmugam on Yishun community cat found killed; feeder appeals for witnesses , Singapore News

AsiaOne

10-05-2025

Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam has deemed the recent killing of a community cat in Yishun to be "appalling cruelty".
The 66-year-old, who is also a member of parliament in Nee Soon GRC where the incident took place, made a Facebook post on Friday (May 9) night.
"A community cat in Yishun had been tortured, eyes gouged out, body cut up and organs split," he wrote, pondering what kind of person would do such a thing.
"This is not who we are as a people."
Earlier that day, a Facebook user, identified as Min Kaung by The Straits Times, posted on the Sayang Our Singapore's Community Cats page that "a cat killer is at large in Yishun" and appealed for witnesses at the Oleander Breeze @ Yishun HDB estate, where a tabby-and-white cat was found "tortured to death".
In her photos, the cat had a collar on.
"The cat's name is King Kong and he was well-loved. I fed him daily and cannot believe this news," she added.
Another post was made on the same page by a user going by Janet CashCash Chin, showing an uncensored photo of King Kong's body, which appeared to be disemboweled with his eyes gouged out.
Adding the merits of rehoming community cats, she wrote: "As long the cats are on the streets, it's never safe, especially when you know there are cat haters around."
Speaking to The Straits Times, Min Kaung, 25, said that the cat's body was found at around 6.15am on the road at the entrance to the HDB estate, and she suspected that it was placed there to appear as a victim of a hit-and-run.
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However, she told the publication that cats' bodies would usually be crushed in such cases, and King Kong's body was not.
"His eyes looked gouged out and his left thigh and body looked [like it was] slashed by sharp objects," she added.
Min Kaung hoped King Kong would receive justice as he was a "caring and loving cat", and said that pet lovers in Nee Soon South are currently looking out for the three other community cats that reside there.
National Parks Board's (NParks) group director of enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok told The Straits Times that they had received feedback about a cat that was found dead in Yishun Street 51 and were looking into the incident.
Kwok advised the public to promptly report any suspected cases of animal cruelty, and that NParks takes all feedback received on it seriously.
Members of the public can call NParks' Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600.
"As with all investigations, all forms of evidence are crucial to the process, and photographic and/or video-graphic evidence provided by the public will help," Kwok added.
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