Jerantut police chief Azman Mat Kamis said this follows a report filed by a 27-year-old man who discovered the dead kittens at around 5pm last Wednesday, Sinar Harian reported.

“The complainant was concerned over what was done to the kittens. He frequently fed the stray cats at the market,” Azman was quoted as saying.

He added that the market does not have closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) installed, but preliminary investigations revealed that the animals were killed within the premises.

He urged anyone with information on the incident to come forward and assist in investigations.

“The case is being investigated under Section 428 of the Penal Code (for killing animals),” he said.

Yesterday, Sinar Daily reported that the Malaysian Animal Association offered a reward of RM5,000 to identify those responsible for drowning the kittens.