'Be rational and understanding', Guan Eng tells animal welfare NGOs
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (pix) has called for animal welfare NGOs to be rational and understanding regarding the containment of a rabies outbreak in the state.
He said the administration found conducting dialogues with those who were racist, extremist and irrational difficult.
In a statement yesterday, he said the state could not initiate a state-wide vaccination programme for stray dogs as there was no stock of vaccines when culling started on Sept 15.
"It is regrettable that there are still certain quarters chiding the state for not starting a mass vaccination programme earlier and instead resorted to culling," he added.
"The state is willing to conduct a vaccination programme if there are 40,000 vaccine (doses) for 10,000 stray dogs. Now, there is not enough vaccines for dogs with owners even," he said.
Lim said the culling order was rescinded on Oct 9 and the state was now waiting for the vaccines promised by an international NGO to arrive pending approvals from the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry.
He expressed his hope that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek and the ministry can begin the mass vaccination programme soon.
"The matter is now being handled by the ministry and the NGOs will have to raise their concerns to Datuk Seri Ahmad," he said.