Wednesday 15 June 2011

Dog-licensing, JMB & MPS - a dialogue ...

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"The JMB or MC of any housing development
does not have the authority to deny home-owners
the legitimate right to keep pets without valid reason
."
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A dialogue between three/four parties is scheduled to be held at MPS today. This is the culmination of four months of conflict between dog-owners (faced with harassment) and (the negligence and ignorance on the part of) a myopic MPS(Majlis Perbandaran Selayang) ....... plus of course some irresponsible dog/pet owners and some animal haters/agent provocateurs in Amansiara.

With regard to the above, I would like to thank YB William Leong, Tuan Gunaraj, Anthony Thanaseeyan (PetsPositive), YB Xavier Jayakumar and YB Ronnie Liu for their efforts towards an amicable resolution to this matter.

My stand in this matter is just this:-

Let's look at Acts 171, 133 and 318-
the law only prohibits animals that are a nuisance. They do not prohibit animals - as many animal (specifically, dogs) haters and their man in MPS- Husnal Az'hari would allege!!
This "brainiac" Husnal's "solution" is as simplistic as it gets - deny licensing (i.e. criminalize dog owners), then wait for a complaint to launch an "operasi" and confiscate/pound all dogs!!

Before local councils harass home & pet-owners using irrational excuses or obscure & outdated laws to deny the licensing of dogs, they should first concentrate on their own criminal methods of harassment, intimidation, trespassing and "robbery" of helpless citizens.
(That is not to mention their track record of cruelty to animals ..... which borders on criminal).

Meanwhile, The Malaysian Animal Welfare Society president Shenaaz Khan has condemned MPS for their threats and refusal to issue dog licenses to the pet owners.

"Local councils have no right whatsoever to cease pets from private property," she said.

Khan, who is also Treasurer of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or PETPOSITIVE, threatened to make a police report against the MPS if they carried out their threats on unsuspecting dog owners.

On his part, Petpositive President Anthony SB Thanasayan who is also chairman of the Canine Advisory Team (CAT) of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Klang Municipality has also expressed his strong displeasure at MPS' move.

"MPS should be targeting individual irresponsible dog owners and not the majority of dogs owners who have been responsible with their pets," he said.

He also called for a proper setting up of a permanent canine committee in the MPS council.

"Let's stop these knee-jerk reactions and come to the discussion table so that we can draw up concrete plans on effectively tackling animal issues within the local council," he added.

According to Thanasayan, he has made many attempts to get head of MPS health department Dr Razif bin Zainol Abidin to set up a committee.

"Despite promising to set up such a council, it has never been done for more than a year." Thanasayan pointed out.




Now about the JMB-
Going by the precedent set in Commonwealth nations- despite the Strata Titles Act, The JMB or MC of any housing development does not have the authority to deny home-owners the legitimate right to keep pets without valid reason.
They only have the power to regulate the ownership with the help of the local authorities (MPS, in this case, without which they too would be powerless to act based on any guideline)- which is why the Pet Ownership Guidelines have been proposed to address problem owners who masquerade as "pet-lovers".
By all means- the JMB & MPS should be authorized to act decisively against these errant & irresponsible pet-owners & discourage animal abuse!!

Pet-owners have been harassed and compounded due to the negligence of MPS, through the actions of Dr Razif. Dogs were confiscated (without the consent of owners) from within their own private property- in violation of the law.
Dogs have been returned to the owners diseased and traumatized- which have caused true dog-lovers to bear much anxiety.
Such criminal conduct CANNOT be allowed to happen using the badges of authority- as Dr. Razif does!!!
All these, while stray cats are allowed to roam the streets untouched by these pseudo health officers!!

Local Government should also vet the developers who market their wares to gullible first-time home buyers, while violating the law with impunity- Gated communities proliferate at exponential rates, blocking off public roads with illegal structures!! Houses are sold with the verbal guarantee that they would be animal friendly, while MPS says otherwise!!

A meeting with the local Councillor (who confessed to be the one behind the derailment of the licensing process) was proven to be a waste of time. Husnal Az'hari the Local Councillor has been almost proven himself to be a dimwit where the law and administration is concerned, and laced his arguments with hogwash in favor of not licensing the dogs.
He suggested that no action be taken against dog-owners ... until they get a complaint- then they will run wild and start the process of criminal intimidation once again!!

WE meet with MPS today to demand the licensing of our dogs and an end to the harassment from high-handed officers ..... we want a Local Government of the people, by the people for the people- not ignorant bureaucrats who act like Little Napoleons!!
Since Husnal invoked Federal Laws- we now have our MP YB William Leong in the picture to mediate this dialogue today.
I would also like to thank Tuan Gunaraj, Anthony Thanaseeyan (PetsPositive), YB Xavier Jayakumar and YB Ronnie Liu for their efforts towards an amicable resolution to this matter.

PLEASE follow @wheelchairant on Twitter for D latest on MPS' meeting with Amansiara dog-lovers whose pets are facing confiscation.

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