KUALA LUMPUR: Officers from local authorities can only use firearms against animals as a last resort, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Agriculture and Agro-Based Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub (pix) said the Animal Welfare Act 2015 does not permit the shooting of animals with firearms unless in a desperate situations or for animal population control.
“Section 30(1) of that Act states that no person shall kill with firearms any animals prescribed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette, unless it is authorised by the veterinary authority during emergency or for the purposes of disease control.
“Section 30(2)(e) meanwhile states that killing of any animal is prohibited unless it is done for the purpose of animal population control by any authorised authority under any written law,” he said.
Salahuddin said among the situations that permit for the shooting of animals include when dealing with aggressive animals, rabid animals, or dangerous animals that have taken the lives of others.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Noor Azmi Ghazali (PH-Bagan Serai) on whether enforcement officers were permitted to use firearms, after the recent incident where the Ipoh City Council officers had shot a stray dog.
For this particular case, Salahuddin said the use of the firearm was permitted as the animal had acted aggressively.
In the incident on May 22, the Ipoh City Council dog control unit had shot a stray dog after receiving complains that it had attacked a senior-ranking army personnel and a pet goat, explaining that the killing method was according to standard operating procedure under the Dog Licensing Bylaw.
