Unlicensed dogs owners risk hefty fine
A FINE of RM5,000 would be imposed upon anyone who keeps a dog without any licence.
Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said this would be implemented under By- Law 3 of the new Local Authorities ( Dog Licensing and Control) By-Laws, 2018.
According to him, any person who obstructs council officers from carrying out their duties shall also be dealt with under Section 162 of the Local Authorities Ordinance, 1996.
He noted that under the said Section 162, any person found guilty of obstructing council officers in executing their duties shall be liable to a fine not exceeding RM1,500, or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.
On the issue on dog- catching, Dr Sim said the decision to outsource such activity would be purely an operational issue.
“There is no need for the law to provide for such transaction. Yes, all mammals including cats can carry rabies virus but we
There is no need for the law to provide for such transaction. Yes, all mammals including cats can carry rabies virus but we ought to be more careful with dogs because all the reported human rabies cases in Sarawak came from dog bites. Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister of Local Government and Housing
ought to be more careful with dogs because all the reported human rabies cases in Sarawak came from dog bites,” he said in his ministerial windingup speech at DUN sitting yesterday.
Dr Sim, who is Batu Kawah assemblyman, said Sarawak could be declared rabies-free only if it could remain free of animal and human rabies for a period of at least two years. He said the World Health Organization ( WHO) had targeted for rabies to be eliminated globally by 2030.
He said with Sarawak being a vast region with porous boundaries with Kalimantan, controlling the movement of stray dogs would definitely be a challenging task.
Nevertheless, he assured all that the local authorities would continue to work closely with the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak and Sarawak Health Department so that their programmes and multipronged strategies could achieve the desired outcomes in eradicating rabies in Sarawak.