In a press statement, the committee member of non-governmental organisation, Sustainable Malaysia Association, Boey Suet Yee, condemned the act, saying that what the pet shop owner was doing was “unacceptable” as spray-paint might be toxic to the bird.

Boey cited the case last year of a dog that was spray-painted to look like a tiger, adding that this act of cruelty had drawn “public ire especially from animal rights activists”.

In the press statement, Boey said that according to the director of the enforcement unit of the Department of Veterinary Services (JPV) Zaharinan Abd Aziz, there were 276 complaints of animal cruelty and negligence received from January to September 2021.

“The question that ought to be raised then is whether the authority is effective in curbing the mistreatment of animals,” Boey said, adding that the Animal Welfare Act 2015 stipulates that individuals found guilty of treating an animal cruelly can be fined or imprisoned or both.

Boey said that despite this legal provision, animal abuse continues to occur.

“Therefore, more effort is required to raise public awareness to curb animal cruelty. We at the Sustainable Malaysia Association urge the authorities, especially the police, to take this matter seriously and act accordingly.”