AYER KEROH: Furious after being fined RM4,000 for abusing her pet dogs, a businesswoman took it out on a videographer who was recording outside the Ayer Keroh Court Complex here today by charging at and pushing the man.
The woman’s aggressive behaviour towards the Astro Awani’s videographer caught members of the media, who were covering court cases this morning, by surprise.
The woman, 37-year-old Lai Woan Yong, was ordered to pay RM4,000 fine by Sessions Court judge Norma Ismail after she pleaded guilty to the charge read by court interpreter.
Lai, who owns a furniture business, was charged with causing hurt and suffering to a male mixed breed dog and a female mixed breed dog at 10.20am in June last year at her house compound in Taman Merdeka, Hang Tuah Jaya.
Therefore, she was charged under Section 44(1)(d) of Animals Act 1953 (Act 647) revised 2006 read together with Animals Act (Act A1452) revised 2013, which carries a fine up to RM50,000 or one year in jail, or both, if convicted.
Based on the fact sheet, on June 28, 2018, at around 10.20am, an officer from Melaka Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Dr Tuan Ajmal Tuan Kamaluddin and seven other enforcement officers visited the location after they received a complaint of animal abandonment at a house in Taman Merdeka, Hang Tuah Jaya.
Upon arrival, they found a brown coloured dog chained up and in a weak state with lice all over its body in front of the house.
Further check at the back of the house found another dog, unchained and in a weak state with skin problem and its left eye swollen.
Dr Tuan Ajmal, who acted as a complainant, ordered the veterinary authority to seize the two dogs, one male and one female. A police report was also lodged.
During the proceeding, the accused, who was represented by lawyer Sia Sin Yee, pleaded for a lenient punishment, saying she was in debts, and has to care for her ill father and her 10-year-old daughter all by herself after her husband left her.
However, Melaka DVS prosecuting officer Raja Mazlan Raja Mamat appealed for a just punishment as a lesson for the accused and asked for the RM721 treatment cost for the two dogs to be paid to the department.
After hearing both arguments, Norma then ordered Lai to pay RM4,000 fine or three months’ jail if she failed to pay the amount.
She also ordered Lai to pay for the treatment cost to DVS and both dogs to be returned to the accused. The accused paid the fine.