KUALA LUMPUR: A 69-year-old man, who was assaulted by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) enforcement officers while trying to protect his dogs during an operation to round-up strays, lodged a police report today.
Patrick Khoo, decided to lodge a police report because he was afraid of the welfare of his dogs that were caught along Jalan 18/17 Taman Kanagapuram, Petaling Jaya last night.
He said two of his dogs and one puppy were taken away by MBPJ personnel.
"I was in my factory around 8pm and I heard the dogs that were guarding the premises, barking.
"I saw unfamiliar group of men in uniform with a truck. They came without explaining anything to me and attacked me for defending my dogs," he told New Straits Times when met at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters here today.
Patrick said it was the first time he experienced such an incident involving council officers.
He said the officers did not issue a warrant or informed him of any prior orders to detain the dogs.
"I have raised the dogs for many years. We can trusts dogs to be our guards.
"My factory is also located away from residential area so there have never been any complaints from the public about any noise in all these years," he said.
Several videos and pictures of the man being roughed up by the MBPJ enforcement officers started making the rounds on social media. Netizens expressed outrage over the rough hand tactics used by the council officers during the stray dog round-up operation.
In one of the videos, the group of uniformed council officers were beating the old man, who was trying to protect his dogs from being captured, with dog-catching iron rods.
Meanwhile, lawyer-activist Rajesh Nagarajan condemned the violent attack by the civil servants against Khoo and his pets.
"The officers have committee a criminal offence based on Section 324, and should be remanded immediately.
"This is not a normal assault and battery because they had used weapons against the victim and his dogs," he told New Straits Times when contacted today.
Rajesh also called on MBPJ to take swift action in investigating the matter.
"The council must explain why their officers were acting in such a way on the elderly. They must apologise," he said.