Welcoming The Draft Of Animal Welfare Bill 2012

Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar has disclosed that stiffer penalties for cruelty to animals are being proposed under a new animal welfare law to be tabled in Parliament early next year.

Among the penalties proposed for animal cruelty under a newly drafted Animal Welfare Bill 2012 is a fine of between RM20,000 to RM100,000 or be jailed up to three years imprisonment.

These were among the suggestions by the public when the Ministry organised consultative sessions to get public feedback.

The proposed amendments are long overdue considering the fact that animal abuse and cruelty towards animals has been going on for such a long time.

Even up to this present moment cruelty is still being perpetrated as shown by the recent incident where a dog is being dumped into a manhole and left to survive on its own.

The proposed Animal Welfare Bill is needed to curb animal abuse, provide for animal welfare and help address some of the serious concerns that have been brought up by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor and numerous other non-government organisations throughout the country which are campaigning actively to make positive change for the welfare of Malaysian animals.

Over the years and till this very day animal lovers have stood by and watched helplessly as more and more cases of animal cruelty and abuse are committed by certain local authorities handling stray dogs with brute force, pet owners neglecting or abandoning their pets, zoo animals living in deplorable conditions and with strays maimed or killed by cruel individuals.

It is time to put an end to this kind of inhumane acts against animals and help improve Malaysia’s standing worldwide in the area of animal welfare.

What is most essential to address animal cruelty is to instill love and care for all animals as they are part of our planet and needs to be cared of.

I hope the Attorney-General Chambers will expedite its study on the draft amendments so that the Ministry concerned can bring it to the Cabinet and also ensure that the proposed Bill can be tabled in Parliament early next year.

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Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, former Member of Parliament for Bukit Bintang, is SPCA Selangor's patron for a tenure of two years commencing 2012. Tan Sri Lee, an animal-welfare activist, has always found time in his busy schedule to champion issues on animal abuse, as well as to assist in Government lobbying for amendments to the Animal Act and to Local Government by-laws for municipals.

Currently, Tan Sri Lee is the Chairman of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Ministry of Human Resources as well as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SP Setia Foundation. He is also the Vice Chairman and Member of the Executive Council of the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF). Tan Sri Lee also sits on the Board of Directors of several listed companies including S.P. Setia and Media Prima Berhad. Tan Sri Lee has been conferred many awards over the years, most recent being the Seri Panglima Darjah Kinabalu (Illustrious Order of Kinabalu, Sabah) which carries the title of Datuk Seri Panglima..

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