(MY) animal ordinance

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Hawari: Revamped law ready by next year - The Maly Mail

PAULINE ALMEIDA

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19:

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The Veterinary Services Department (VSD) is in the process of amending

the Animal Ordinance 1953, and is confident it will be finalised next

year.

 

Its director-general, Datuk Dr Hawari Hussein, said the amendments

would include penalties " significant enough " to send out a clear

message — that animal cruelty will not be tolerated.

 

Declining to elaborate on the penalties under the Act, he attributed

the delay in amending the ordinance to the legal process.

 

Dr Hawari said the department is looking at educating the public on

the treatment of animals.

 

" The public must be educated on how animals should be treated, " he said.

 

On the owner of the German Shepherd who was fined RM100 by the

magistrate's court two days ago for neglecting the dog, Dr Hawari

admitted the fine imposed on the engineer was " too low " .

 

On Feb 6, last year, The Malay Mail had reported that the penalty

under the Animal Ordinance 1953 was " peanuts " — yet it was one of the

laws applied against farmers who fail to comply with the Agriculture

Ministry's requirement on producing reports on the condition of their

farms, following the bird flu scare.

 

Interestingly, this law has not been amended for 50 years.

 

Dr Hawari had said then that the Act was in the process of being revamped.

 

A source in the livestock and poultry industry, speaking on condition

of anonymity, had said the Animal Ordinance 1953 was outdated.

 

The maximum penalty is a fine of RM200 and six months'

 

'Nothing less than RM2,000 fine will do!'

 

The Malaysian Small Animal Veterinary Association (MSAVA) has urged

the Veterinary Services Department to increase the quantum of fines

imposed on offenders for cruelty to animals.

 

" It should be increased to a substantial amount of at least RM2,000, "

said MSAVA president-elect Dr Mathews Thomas.

 

" This issue has been long overdue, and the time has come for the

department to finalise it without delay, "

 

He said the department should also invite the relevant associations

looking after animals' rights for a meeting to discuss the quantum of

penalty.