PETALING JAYA: A cow was shot because it became aggressive and needed to be immobilised, says Perlis Mentri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah (pic).
The statement followed social media criticism after a video of the shooting went viral.
Posting on his Facebook page, the Mentri Besar clarified that shooting the cow during a recent ritual slaughtering event was due to safety concerns.
"The cow that was shot was the 25th cow to escape, and it had behaved aggressively and posed a danger to public safety," he wrote.
He added that the animal had almost gored individuals at the scene.
"The shooting was only carried out after the authorities ensured that the cow was in a suitable, controlled and safe area to avoid any risk to the public," he explained.
"The shot was aimed at the upper thigh area with the intention of immobilising the cow’s movement, not to kill it," he added.
He said the slaughtering process was carried out less than a minute after the shot was fired.
"As the cow was still reacting and resisting, several individuals were needed to help move and restrain it," he said.
The Mentri Besar faced backlash from social media users after a video of the incident was uploaded online.
In the video, he was seen firing a rifle towards the animal, which caused it to collapse to the ground.
Several people then rushed over to the cow to complete the slaughtering process.
