Kuching Serial Puppy Killer Jailed One Month

Yes, I am aware that this subject has been done to death. Ironically, death is also the subject of this article. The death of five innocent, helpless puppies at the hands of a 55 year old shop assistant named Kumbang Jeli in Kuching, Sarawak.

Yes the fact that he is 55 and therefore should have displayed a higher level of maturity given his age is not lost on us. On July 18, Jeli was seen repeatedly hurling the puppies against the concrete floor behind the Setia Raja commercial centre.

His motivation? He wanted revenge after their mother tried to attack him. Eyewitnesses gathered the dead puppies, took photos and posted them on the Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) Facebook page. The society spoke to witnesses in the area, confirmed the incident and filed a police report on July 21.

Magistrate Maris Agan sentenced Jeli to one month in jail for killing the five puppies. He was convicted under Section 3(1) Cruelty to Animals (Prevention) Ordinance 1963 and punished under Section 5(2) of the same ordinance which carries a maximum penalty of three months� jail or RM500 fine.

Yes, I am aware that the penalty is still not enough to justify the slaughter of 5 innocent, helpless puppies, but as far as the SSPCA is concerned, this is a significant victory.

�This sentence is unprecedented in Malaysia and we hope that it will serve as ample deterrent to other animal abusers out there,� SSPCA president Dona Drury-Wee said in a press statement.

�We would like to thank the police, and in particular investigating officer Inspector Wan Amir, for bringing this case before the court so quickly. We would also like to thank all the witnesses who came forward to help the police in the investigation.�

According to SSPCA, the case had achieved two �firsts� � the first case of animal abuse to be successfully prosecuted in Sarawak and the first case of animal abuse in Malaysia to receive a one month jail sentence.

�We understand that previous successfully prosecuted cases in Peninsular Malaysia have received no more than three days� jail and in many cases, no jail time at all. It is our hope that this landmark case will set a precedent for future cases and serve as a deterrent to all animal abusers� said SSPCA chairperson Rebecca D�Cruz.

In Malaysia, it is nearing sixty years since the animal protection legislation was passed. The single overriding objective of these laws is the prevention of cruelty and unnecessary suffering of animals.

We have the laws for animal welfare, we have established bodies for enforcement of these laws and we are living in a civilized world. A moral person is capable of recognizing the concept of good, no matter the race, creed or religion. They are capable of having a sense of justice.

But clearly something has hardened the hearts of our fellow human beings to carry out such wanton acts of cruelty and senseless killing without justification.

There is a desperate need to acknowledge that animals deserve our protection. An animal cannot understand our language or customs, which makes it an easy target for cruelty. If you verbally reprimand a dog, you will most often see a fearful reaction. The dog�s apprehension is that you might harm him. It is a naturally ingrained and instinct of fear for the poor animal.

In contrast a human would see no evidence of immediate violence, based on their understanding of the language we use and the context that we use it in. Hence, the necessity for the animals� protection. Mahatma Gandhi said it best �The more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man�.

Perhaps if we consider animals through the lens of our hearts, we might realize that their suffering is not quite so trivial after all. It is long overdue for Malaysian society to announce that enough is enough and that we will not tolerate animals suffering at the hands of societal misfits anymore.

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Dave Avran

Describe Dave Avran? Now that's complicated. The dude graduated with a double degree in hospitality management and marketing from UWA, Perth, WA and proceeded to terrorize poor hotel and resort staff for the next 28 years as a General Manager. He likes big bikes and fast cars, and indulged in his passion for writing and music as a journalist, editor, lifestyle magazine publisher, and then proceeded to the theatre as actor and talent manager before becoming active in animal welfare activism. He's widely sought after for his PR and Publicist networking, and is a social media junkie who's wired 24/7. While doing all that, he still finds time to jet set and reviews all the music festivals in this region.

We told ya it's complicated. For today, let's just make life simple and call him an avid animal lover.

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