Animal rights advocates say the upcoming budget for 2026 must go beyond harsher penalties to include strategic funding for urgent action and stronger enforcement on animal cruelty.
Kong Sue Ann, founder of Awa, a movement pushing for stricter enforcement of Malaysia’s Animal Welfare Act, called on the government to fund nationwide awareness campaigns, saying such initiatives would reduce cruelty towards animals.
Over the longer term, Kong said such campaigns would also reduce the cost incurred by local governments in stray management.
“Awareness campaigns are a strategic investment that pay off on many fronts. By fostering shared responsibility, they encourage responsible pet ownership, reduce abandonment, lower stray populations, and cut the costs of catch-and-cull…