Cat-killer suspect should face tougher penalty, says rights group

 

A property manager, Chan Kam Kin, has been charged with flinging cats from a 15th floor apartment in Petaling Jaya. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: An animal rights group said it was disappointed that a tougher law had not been used against a man charged with flinging cats from a 15th floor flat.

The Lawyers for Animal Rights group said the suspect should have been charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 instead of the Penal Code.

The group’s founder, Rajesh Nagarajan, said the Penal Code does not carry a minimum fine. “So this allows very small fines against animal abusers,” he told FMT.

However, the Animal Welfare Act provides for a minimum fine of RM20,000, Rajesh said.

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He said an increased fine, coupled with the maximum three years imprisonment both laws stipulate would serve to deter animal abusers more effectively.

He added that a stiffer fine was essential “as animal abuse cases are prevalent in Malaysia” and the judicial system should regard animal abuse as a heinous crime deserving the heaviest of punishments.

Earlier today, a property manager claimed trial to a charge of flinging cats from the 15th floor of an apartment building last Monday. - FMT