I'm no dog killer, says Lavender Heights mosque chairman

SEREMBAN: The chairman of a mosque at Lavender Heights near here is upset at being labelled a "dog killer" on social media after reports linked him to five strays that were fatally poisoned in the neighbourhood.

Ibnu Khaldun Mosque committee chairman Mohd Asna Amin, who denies being involved in the matter, said his pictures had been shared tens of thousands of times on social media.

"The attacks on me started after an animal group claimed that I was involved in poisoning the dogs.

"People are now saying that the imam of a mosque is involved in the killings.

"How can this be when the carcasses of the dead dogs were found some 1km outside the mosque compound?" he said during a dialogue with residents here on Wednesday night.

Mohd Asna said he was also saddened that he was being investigated by the authorities for the killings.

Five dogs, including one which had an owner, were found dead in the neighbourhood between Jan 1 and 5. They are believed to have been fed food laced with rat poison.

Several individuals have since lodged police reports and want the case to be investigated under the Animal Welfare Act for cruelty to animals.

Mohd Asna said he was being targeted after screenshots of messages in a WhatsApp chat group comprising residents in the area went viral.

He also expressed disappointment with the authorities for seizing his mobile phone despite his having given his fullest cooperation during investigations.

"I hope the phone is returned to me soonest," he said.

Mohd Asna, however, admitted there were pictures of stray dogs in his mobile phone but these were taken about three weeks before the animals were found dead.

The police is probing the case under Section 428 of the Penal Code, for mischief by killing or maiming animals, which carries an imprisonment term which may extend to three years or with a fine.

A resident Datuk Seri Abd Rahim Mohd Radzi, who was present at the dialogue, said the residents were prepared to defend Mohd Asna if he was found guilty of poisoning the dogs.

"Both my wife and I were almost been attacked by the strays while jogging.

"These dogs have also killed many pets, and this is not fair to their owners.

"We are prepared to go to jail with Mohd Asna if he is convicted," he said adding that the dogs had also many times caused a mess including defecating in the mosque compound.

Abd Rahim said he had no problem with residents who wished to keep dogs within their own compound.

A Seremban Municipal Council representative, who was also present, said some 8,000 strays had been caught in the district in 2016 and another 4,000 last year.

However, the operations which were contracted out to two companies had to be stopped last July after some quarters questioned the council's way of handling the animals.