Two men jailed, fined for cruelty to animal

KAMPAR: Two men, both senior citizens, were each sentenced to seven days jail and fined RM7,800, in default 12 months' jail, by the magistrate's court here today after they were found guilty of ill-treating a dog.
Magistrate Nur Faizah Muhamad Saleh handed down the sentence on Wong Then Yoong, 67, and Aw Soon Fatt, 66, after finding them guilty on a charge of cruelty to an animal.
The two men were alleged to have wantonly dragged the dog using a steel chain for 2.3 km along Jalan Batu Sinar, Bandar Baru Kampar, at 11am on Nov 11, 2016, causing the animal to suffer and be in pain.
They were charged under Section 44 (1)(d) of the Animals Act 1953, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
In mitigation, lawyers Syahredzan Johan and Louis Liaw, representing Wong and Aw, said their clients regretted their action and that their goal was to get rid of the dog.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Kenneth Onn.
On Nov 29, 2016, Wong and Aw had pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to a month's jail and fined RM200 each by the magistrate's court for the offence, made under Section 44 (1)(d) of the Animals Act 1953, which provided a maximum fine of RM200 and jail of not more than six months, or both, upon conviction.
However, both appealed to the Ipoh High Court against the sentence and on Aug 4 last year, the court ordered a retrial of the case on grounds that the sentence imposed was not based on the amended provision of the law.
When the charge was read out to them again on Aug 24 last year, the two men pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. — Bernama