THOROUGH PROBE NEEDED IN CASE OF DEAD CATS AT UM - DR WAN AZIZAH

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has called for immediate action and a thorough investigation to identify the cause of the gruesome deaths of several cats at Universiti Malaya (UM) recently.

Wan Azizah, who is also the wife of the Prime Minister, strongly condemned the cruelty to animals, saying the investigation was necessary to ensure that incidents that go against human values ​​and violate the law do not happen again.

"A thorough investigation should will be carried out to take into account all the facts of the case, especially the discovery of cats’ being mutilated," said Wan Azizah, expressing concern and shock at the heartbreaking incident.

Dr Wan Azizah said this in a statement read out by the political secretary to the Prime Minister Datuk Azman Abidin at a press conference at the Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament's Office here today.

She also urged UM to increase the role and effectiveness of the Universiti Malaya Animal Guardians entity, which was established in August, by involving parties with expertise such as animal lovers' associations and the police.

At the press conference, Azman, who is also the patron of Persatuan Rakan Kuching Malaysia, expressed concern that the incident could lead to a larger issue in the future if the event is not thoroughly investigated.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Animal Association president, Dr Arie Dwi Andika, who is also a Crime Analyst for the Malaysia Animal Law and Operational Security Compliance (MALOSC), said that the Animal Welfare Act 2015 could be invoked if there are criminal elements involving human actions in the incident, as he believes the deaths were not caused by wild animal attacks.

In PUTRAJAYA, the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has confirmed in a statement that it received reports of two separate incidents related to the deaths of cats, allegedly occurring at several locations within the university.

The first complaint, received on Dec 17, involved an incident at the Faculty of Business and Economics. However, the Federal Territory DVS Animal Welfare Unit, which conducted the investigation on the same day, was informed by UM management that the actual event occurred on Dec 12, and the cat's carcass had already been buried.

"The university management said that there were no witnesses to the incident and that there was no closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the building. An examination of the cat's carcass, which was completely mutilated, revealed that it had already decomposed, and an autopsy could not be conducted to confirm the cause of death," according to the statement.

The second complaint, received on Dec 20, involved the deaths of four cats at different locations around the campus. 

DVS is urging those with information regarding animal cruelty to file an official complaint with the veterinary authorities at awa.dvs.gov.my so that action can be taken in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (Act 772).

-- BERNAMA