Abdul Aziz (third left), Yii (third right), Chung (fourth left) and protesters holding up placards pose for a photo outside the One-Stop Centre Police Station after lodging police reports on the conduct of the anti-rabies enforcement team.
KUCHING: About 100 concerned members of the public held a peaceful protest outside the One-Stop Centre Police Station at Jalan Simpang Tiga here and lodged police reports on the conduct of the anti-rabies operation enforcement team today.
The group’s representative, Danny Chung said that the police report was lodged against the state disaster management committee and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) so that an investigation could be opened on allegations that the enforcement team abused its power and trespassed into private property to conduct their operations.
Chung said that some pet owners informed him that enforcement team had requested permission to enter their private property to vaccinate their pets, but tranquilised their dogs instead.
During the protest, one of the protesters also lodged a police report regarding the anti-rabies operation enforcement team for trespassing into a factory located at Kota Samarahan and tranquilised the factory owner’s dogs on April 10 and 11 at about 5pm.
According to the police report, no identification documents or warrants were presented by the enforcement team before tranquilising a total of five pet dogs within the compound.
“The authorities concerned must investigate the incidents thoroughly as trespassing into private property and tranquilising people’s dogs within their compound is unlawful, morally unjust and unethical,” said Chung.
Moreover, Chung also questioned the need for the enforcement team to carry heavy firearms while carrying out the anti-rabies operation, as such scenes created unnecessary anxiety among the residents and endangered public order and security.
He also called upon the state government to step aside for the federal government to intervene in the rabies outbreak in the state and also to adopt the Animal Welfare Act 2015.
Deputy Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen special assistant Abdul Aziz Isa, who was present to support the citizen initiative, asked the state government to be transparent to the public on the rabies outbreak as tranquilising dogs within private property was considered trespassing.
“The police should take action as soon as possible and not prolong the issue, as the longer this issue is prolonged without investigation, it will create chaos and panic among the public,” said Abdul Aziz.
Meanwhile, Bandar Kuching Kelvin Yii – who was also present – said that he had spoken to Deputy Minister of Health Dr Lee Boon Chye to write an official letter to the state disaster management committee to express its concerns on the allegations of trespassing and evaluate whether the allegation warrants an independent investigation.
“At the end of the day, while we support all efforts to curb the rabies outbreak, we must follow the proper standard operating procedure (SOP) that were agreed to by different parties,” he said.
“The SOP must be humane and not cause any unnecessary distress or security concerns to nearby residents.”