Is the Subang Jaya Municipal Council's (MPSJ) new requirement that dog owners need to obtain prior written consent from neighbours before being granted a dog licence a double standard policy and signals a growing attempt towards Islamisation?

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) seems to think so.

Its Selangor chairperson Ronnie Liu said the new requirement, introduced on Jan 1, unfairly imposes additional restrictions against dog owners, compared to those who own other pets such as cats or rabbits.

"The council should not take such drastic action merely because certain irresponsible dog owners may have caused nuisance to their neighbours," said Liu.

"What the council should do is to penalise these owners and not subject all dog owners to the same rigid condition."

The latest action - which adds onto an earlier requirement for dog owners to submit a veterinarian's health certificate before they can get a licence - suggests that the council has forgotten that the right to rear dogs is a fundamental one, he said.

The party submitted a memorandum protesting the issue to MPSJ yesterday morning.

Cannot comment

When contacted, the council's public relations desk could not comment on the matter, on grounds that the latest policy requires officers to obtain clearance from the department's head Asfarizal Abdul Hamid, before they are allowed to provide information to the press.

Malaysiakini

's request for a copy of the latest pamphlet outlining the new regulations was also denied, despite the fact that this document have been distributed to the public since early January.

Asfarizal could not be reached.

Malaysiakini understands that the new guidelines have yet to be enforced - the council is currently placing it on a trial run to collect public feedback.

If imposed, residents in the 24 zones under MPSJ's jurisdiction - from Subang to Seri Kembangan - will need to obtain written permission from their neighbours on both sides of the fence that they are not opposed to having dogs next door.