SHAH ALAM, Aug 1 — Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin has stressed that no form of animal cruelty will be accepted or tolerated in the state, regardless of who the perpetrator is or their position.
In a statement issued by Istana Alam Shah today, Her Royal Highness, who is also the Royal Patron of the Stray Free Selangor (SFS) initiative under SPCA Selangor, expressed deep sadness, disappointment and anger over recent incidents of cruelty involving pets and stray animals, particularly dogs and cats.
She said acts of torturing, injuring, killing or treating animals cruelly not only violate the law but also reflect a failure to uphold compassion and humanity, which are the foundations of a civilised society.
“No form of animal cruelty will be accepted or tolerated. Regardless of who the perpetrator is, their position, race or religion, and regardless of the reason, such acts cannot be justified,” she said.
Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin said the stance applies to all parties, including individuals, organisations, companies, government agencies and authorities, as no one is above the law.
Her Royal Highness said any party found to have committed animal cruelty must be thoroughly investigated and face appropriate legal action, including cases involving members or officers of enforcement authorities themselves.
She said public confidence in enforcement institutions can only be maintained when every action is carried out professionally, with integrity and compassion, rather than through unnecessary force or actions that cause suffering to animals.
Her comments come two days after the death of a dog in an incident at Taman Teluk Gedung Indah, Port Klang, during a stray dog-catching operation carried out by the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK), which was captured in a video that went viral on social media.
Meanwhile, Tengku Permaisuri Selangor reiterated her call for the government, local authorities, relevant agencies and the community to work together to strengthen efforts in building a more compassionate society towards animals.
Among the measures proposed are strengthening cooperation between the government, local authorities, animal welfare organisations and the public; expanding humane animal rescue and protection efforts; and cultivating compassion towards animals from a young age through education, public awareness and community involvement.
Her Royal Highness also called for the values of “compassion, care and community” to serve as a shared principle in shaping a more caring, responsible and civilised society.
Tengku Permaisuri Selangor believes that the way humans treat animals reflects their character.
She hoped all parties would learn from the incident and work together to ensure Selangor continues to uphold the values of compassion, justice and responsibility.
She also urged the federal government to review penalties under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 so that action against animal cruelty offenders can be strengthened and enforced more consistently.
