RM100,000 FINE AND SIX MONTHS JAIL FOR CRUELTY TO ANIMALS UNDER NEW ACT

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- Anyone caught being cruel to animals will
face a fine of up to RM100,000 (US$33,515) (US$1=RM2.98) and a jail term of not
more than six months under the Animal Welfare Act to be tabled in Parliament
next year, Veterinary Services director-general Dr Abd Aziz Jamaluddin said
Monday.

He said the Act covered all animals, including fish and insects, whether
owned by individuals or businesses and would define as cruelty the failure to
feed them.

"We forget to feed our dog, that's cruelty. We keep it caged and it cannot
look for food. We are in the process of defining 'cruelty' to create awareness
so people realise that cruelty to animals can be on purpose or unintentional,"
he told reporters here.

Abd Aziz said the Act will require all premises housing animals to be
registered with the Veterinary Services Department, and related business
operators with the Malaysian Veterinary Council.

He said the department will monitor the premises every three to four months
to ensure that they are properly maintained.

"We will also provide guidelines and a list of offences and other matters
related to animal welfare," he said.

"We will carry out campaigns in collaboration with animal shelters to create
public awareness," he added

Commenting on a media report on an animal hotel at Damansara Damai in
Selangor which allegedly left its cats to starve, Abd Aziz said the owner of the
premises can be charged under local by-laws as his licence had not been renewed
since 2009.

He said the name of the company will be published on the department's
website as a lesson to operators of such premises and as information to the
public.