A social activist has described as a step in the right direction the move by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry to amend the Animals Act 1953 to impose stiffer penalties on those convicted of ill-treating animals.
Lee Lam Thye, advisor to the Coordinating Committee of NGOs for Animal Welfare, said the proposed amendment was long overdue considering the fact that animal abuse and cruelty towards animals had been going on for such a long time.
It was reported that convicted animal torturers could face a RM50,000 fine or one year’s jail, or both, under the amendment to the Animals Act 1953 (Revised 2006).
Lee, in a statement, urged Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar to press for the amendment to be brought to parliament as soon as possible.
“The proposed amendment, if introduced, will certainly help to curb animal buse, provide for better animal welfare and help address some of the serious concerns,” he said.
His statement comes in the wake of reports on Sunday of the rescue of 300 cats after they allegedly starved in locked pet hotels in Damansara Damai and Sungai Buloh in Selangor.
– Bernama
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