Animal welfare law to be introduced

SERDANG: The Government will introduce an animal welfare law soon to ensure good practices in dealing with livestock.

“All parties carrying out activities relating to animals will have to adhere to the law, especially breeders, to ensure the welfare of animals are taken care of,” Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said.

For example, there would be guidelines on how animals were slaughtered, transported or cared for, he told a press conference after the Animal Welfare Day launch yesterday.

Tajuddin, who represented Agri-culture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the event, said Australia had refused to export their livestock to Malaysia because they thought the Malaysian way of slaughtering to be cruel.

For this reason, the ministry was looking into how they could comply with their standard of practices, he said.

He said the draft law was in the final stage of review at the Attorney-General’s Chambers.