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PETALING JAYA: Nearly 500 animal rights activists from across Malaysia attended a candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur last night.
The event was held in memory of Kopi, the dog killed in a stray-culling operation by the Besut municipal council, in Terengganu, last year.
Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said despite it having been almost three months since Kopi was murdered, the police have yet to charge anyone in court.
“Our demands were for the perpetrators of Kopi’s murder to be brought to justice,” he told FMT.
The candlelight vigil was organised by four organisations, namely the Malaysian Animal Welfare Association (Mawa), Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia, Global Human Rights Federation and Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia.
GHRF president S Shashi Kumar said the vigil was also to stand against the brutal killing and abuse of animals, amid the increasingly prevalent incidents committed by local councils and perpetrators.
“We are urging the government to adopt the humane approach of trap, neuter and release instead of resorting to the inhumane practice of killing stray animals,” he said.
Shashi Kumar mentioned a recent TikTok video, in which a person was seen demonstrating how to feed monkeys with poison, and said this highlighted a “glaring failure in our policies and enforcement”.
He said the Animal Welfare Act 2015 was outdated, and that the groups which participated in the gathering demanded immediate reforms and amendments for the protection of animals.
“This is not an isolated issue. It reflects a national concern that requires the government’s urgent attention and action,” he said, adding that a memorandum on the matter was handed to MPs at the Parliament building on Nov 12 last year.
Kopi first became an internet sensation in March 2024 when he was pictured playing with a stray cat. He was killed on Oct 6 last year.
On Thursday, four animal rights activists applied for an injunction to prevent the Besut district council from shooting any more stray dogs pending the disposal of a lawsuit against the council and Terengganu government over the allegedly unlawful killing of Kopi.
Dr Kartini Farah Abdul Rahim, S Mukunan, Hong Hai San and Shashi filed the suit against the state government and district council last month.
Rajesh said the injunction application was filed in the Kuala Terengganu High Court and served on Jan 6 on the state government and district council, who filed applications to strike out the lawsuit on Jan 1 and Dec 31 respectively.