IPOH, Feb 12 — A mechanic was charged in the Sessions Court today with animal cruelty for allegedly beating a dog with a sledgehammer last month, causing injuries.
Hew Kan Wai, 42, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him before Judge Jean Sharmila Jesudason.
He was accused of cruelly striking a male mixed-breed Pit Bull with a sledgehammer in front of a house in Taman Ria, at 8pm on January 18.
The charge framed under Subsection 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 carries a fine of between RM20,000 and RM100,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Qurratu’aini Khalifah offered bail at RM20,000 with additional conditions at the court’s discretion.
National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Kathan Maruthamuthu, representing the accused, requested a lower bail, citing his client's RM2,000 monthly income and financial burden.
He said Hew’s wife is unemployed, and he supports two children and four schoolgoing nieces and nephews.
The court set bail at RM2,500 and ordered the accused to report to the nearest police station monthly until the case is resolved. The next mention is fixed on March 11.
On January 20, Ipoh district police chief ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said a mechanic was arrested for allegedly beating his pet dog with a sledgehammer at a house in Taman Ria.
The suspect reportedly acted out of anger after being bitten.
A 43-second video of the incident, recorded by a nearby resident, went viral last month on the Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better Facebook page, showing a man hitting a dog with a sledgehammer.
— Bernama
