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Free Malaysia Today
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
40 groups rally in Putrajaya for no-kill policy on strays
About 80 people from various animal welfare organisations gathered outside the agriculture and food security ministry in Putrajaya. PUTRAJAYA : Over 80 protestors gathered outside the headquarters of two ministries here today to call for the enforcement of a no-kill policy on stray dogs nationwide. Participants started gathering at 2.30pm outside the agriculture and food security ministry, before going to the housing and local government ministry. Gabungan NGO Haiwan Malaysia, a coalition representing 40 animal welfare organisations, submitted memorandums to representatives from both ministries demanding reforms to the Animal Welfare Act. They called for amendments to be made to the Act to outlaw the killing of strays by local authorities. It accused the veterinary services department of failing to protect animal welfare, especially in monitoring acts of abuse by local authorities and lacking ethical policies to manage the stray population. It also claimed that adoption fees imposed by local authorities, ranging between RM300 and RM2,000, were unreasonably high and burdensome for those who genuinely wanted to adopt and care for captured stray dogs. The coalition also condemned the Negeri Sembilan government for using religion as a justification for its plan to cull 'some' stray dogs in Malay-majority residential areas. It said such a policy stemmed from negative perceptions of stray dogs that label them as threats to public safety. Independent animal rescuer Shima Aris rebutted the perception that dogs were 'haram', or unclean, in Islam. 'I am a proud Muslim woman and my religion never teaches us to kill dogs,' she said. Activists have said only the veterinary services department was legally allowed to cull dogs, and that local authorities should adopt the 'trap, neuter and spay' method instead. Last week, the coalition gathered more than 300 protestors outside Negeri Sembilan's state secretariat to submit a memorandum with more than 5,000 signatures opposing the stray dog culling plan. It also urged menteri besar Aminuddin Harun and state leaders to start an open dialogue with relevant ministries and agencies to explore humane alternatives for managing the state's stray animal population.
Malay Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
N. Sembilan defends stray dog culling plan amid backlash, says SOPs and animal laws will be followed
KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — The proposed culling of stray dogs in Negeri Sembilan will be carried out in accordance with legal procedures and standard operating procedures (SOP), said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun. He said the move would not be conducted arbitrarily or recklessly, and would be left to the appropriate authorities to manage, according to a report published in Berita Harian today. 'Don't misunderstand. What we mean is that it will follow SOPs and procedures, not a random culling or indiscriminate shooting of dogs. There are animal-related laws that must be respected, and this matter will be handled by the relevant authorities. 'Each local authority (PBT) has its own method of managing stray dogs to resolve the nuisance caused by uncontrolled populations,' he told reporters after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting at Wisma Negeri yesterday. At the State Legislative Assembly sitting last Wednesday, all assemblymen including those from the opposition unanimously agreed that stray dog control measures should be implemented in areas with a predominantly Malay population to address safety and nuisance concerns. However, the proposal has drawn criticism from some quarters, especially non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who deemed the decision insensitive and inconsistent with humanitarian principles. Aminuddin explained that the proposal came in response to rising complaints and safety fears among residents, including cases of people being injured by stray dogs. He added that the state government had also received reports of stray dogs freely entering Muslim houses of worship and creating disturbances in Malay residential areas. 'Just today in Port Dickson, based on information from my officer, a teenager was bitten by a stray dog. 'Those who own dogs shouldn't shirk responsibility by abandoning them and expecting others to deal with it. 'That's unfair and affects the community. When someone gets bitten, who will take responsibility?' he said. Separately, Aminuddin commented on the underutilised MyKioks provided by the Local Government and Housing Ministry (KPKT), urging local councils to find alternatives by creating new hawker zones. He said the facilities should not be left idle or go to waste. A total of 414 MyKioks were made available across Negeri Sembilan in 2023 and 2024, but only 250 are currently occupied despite being placed in strategic locations near street vendor hotspots.
Free Malaysia Today
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Bar urges AGC to review legality of Negeri Sembilan's stray dog culling plan
Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab said there were no laws that allowed local councils to cull stray dogs of their own accord. PETALING JAYA : The Malaysian Bar has urged the Attorney-General's Chambers to examine potential violations of federal law and take appropriate legal action against the Negeri Sembilan government's planned culling of stray dogs. Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab said the professional body firmly opposed the move, adding that any issue of overpopulation must be addressed legally and with compassion. He said the state government's plan to cull stray dogs was inhumane and amounted to a breach of both procedural and substantive law. 'Local councils hold no position or authority to cull dogs and there are no laws that allow councils to do so of their own accord,' he said in a statement. Ezri Abdul Wahab. He said the plan contradicted Sections 29 and 30(1) of the Animal Welfare Act, which criminalise causing unnecessary suffering to animals and outline the proper management of stray animals. He also called on the veterinary services department and the Animal Welfare Board to intervene and halt the state government's planned mass culling of stray dogs. Last week, the Negeri Sembilan state assembly unanimously agreed that some stray dogs in predominantly Malay-Muslim residential areas should be culled to address safety concerns. Menteri besar Aminuddin Harun cited increasing complaints and public safety risks as reasons for the proposed culling, which would be handled by the local authorities. Rajesh Nagarajan of Lawyers for Animal Rights slammed the state government over its plan, describing the move as illegal. He said only the veterinary services department was legally allowed to cull dogs and any killing of dogs conducted by the state government would run afoul of the law. He also appealed to the state government to engage animal welfare groups to assist in rolling out a trap, neuter and spay programme.
