A man suspected of abusing a kitten at a residential area in Batu Gajah was arrested after he surrendered himself to police yesterday.
Batu Gajah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Md Noor Aehawan Mohammad said police received information about the alleged animal abuse at around 12.04pm.
The incident was recorded by the suspect’s neighbour, who witnessed what happened.
“Checks on the two-minute-and-19-second video showed a man repeatedly hitting a kitten with an aluminium broom.
“The incident took place at the parking area of the suspect’s house. Following the incident, the suspect went to the Batu Gajah district police headquarters to surrender before being detained to assist with investigations,” he said in a statement today.
Preliminary investigations found that the suspect admitted to hitting the kitten with the aluminium broom.
Md Noor Aehawan said the man claimed he acted after the kitten entered the engine compartment of his vehicle, which was parked within the residential premises.
“The suspect claimed he was concerned that the kitten could be endangered or that the vehicle could be damaged if the engine was started,” he said.
Police also found that the kitten was still alive. The neighbour subsequently took the animal to a veterinary clinic today for treatment.
“A veterinary report will be obtained to assist in completing the investigation,” he added.
The case is being investigated under Section 428 of the Penal Code and Section 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015.
Police also reminded the public not to take matters into their own hands or carry out any actions that could injure or cause suffering to animals.
