Animal rights advocates say the upcoming budget for 2026 must go beyond harsher penalties to include strategic funding for urgent action and stronger enforcement on animal cruelty.
Kong Sue Ann, founder of Awa, a movement pushing for stricter enforcement of Malaysia’s Animal Welfare Act, called on the government to fund nationwide awareness campaigns, saying such initiatives would reduce cruelty towards animals.
Over the longer term, Kong said such campaigns would also reduce the cost incurred by local governments in stray management.
“Awareness campaigns are a strategic investment that pay off on many fronts. By fostering shared responsibility, they encourage responsible pet ownership, reduce abandonment, lower stray populations, and cut the costs of catch-and-cull operations.
“They also reinforce that animal cruelty is a serious offence, easing the burden on prolonged investigations,” she told FMT.
Warning of a rising frequency and brutality of cruelty cases, Kong called for heavier punishments, highlighting the recent case of a man who beat a dog to death with a metal rod.
She proposed higher fines and jail terms, mandatory court-ordered rehabilitation, and ownership bans for severe or repeat offenders.
“This would ensure that cruelty is no longer treated as a ‘low-level offence’. Matching penalties to the severity of suffering reduces repeat crimes while aligning Malaysia with global standards for a more progressive, humane and sustainable country.”
Animal rights lawyer and activist Rajesh Nagarajan meanwhile called for reforms to close enforcement gaps.
He proposed fast-track courts, training for enforcement agencies, a national animal offender registry, and funding for shelters to care for seized animals.
He also proposed the creation of a specialised animal welfare enforcement unit, following examples from Sweden and the Netherlands.
In Sweden, trained officers work closely with veterinarians and inspectors to handle cruelty cases while the Netherlands has a dedicated “animal police” unit that investigates complaints, rescues animals and ensures that offenders are prosecuted, he said.
“Malaysia could adopt a similar model to professionalise enforcement and ensure that animal welfare laws are not treated as secondary offences. These steps would make enforcement more robust and signal zero tolerance for cruelty,” he said when contacted.
Rajesh also called for animal cruelty offences to be accorded the same level of seriousness as crimes against people.
“Stronger penalties, real reform of the Act, and a dedicated animal enforcement unit are essential, but the real problem is not just the law but the failure of enforcement.
“If the veterinary services department cannot bring cases to court despite its resources, then enforcement must be restructured,” he said.
