100 rally to protest conduct by anti-rabies ops enforcement team

KUCHING: About 100 local people held a peaceful protest outside the police one-stop centre at Jalan Simpang Tiga here yesterday, as a show of their dissatisfaction over the conduct by the enforcement team of the anti-rabies operations.

According to the group's representative Danny Chung, a police report had also been lodged so that investigation could be carried out upon the State Disaster Management Committee and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) regarding allegation about the enforcement team having abused their power and trespassed private properties while conducting the anti-rabies exercise.

Chung said according to several pet owners, members of the enforcement team had requested permission to enter the private properties with the aim to vaccinate their dogs but instead, they tranquilised the animals.

It is learnt that one of the protesters also lodged a police report, claiming that the enforcement team had trespassed into a factory in Kota Samarahan and tranquilised the factory owner's dogs on April 10 and 11 – around 5pm on each day.

The complainant also reported that there was neither identification document not warrant being presented by the enforcement team, prior to them tranquilising a total of five pet dogs within the compound of the premises.

“The authorities concerned must investigate the incidents thoroughly as trespassing people's private properties and tranquilising their dogs within their compounds are unlawful, morally unjust and unethical,” said Chung.

Moreover, he also questioned the need for members of the enforcement team to carry heavy firearms during the antirabies operations, in that such scene only created unnecessary anxiety among the residents, as well as carried a risk of endangering public order and security.