The abuser of a dog at Taman Melody, Puchong must be subject to police investigations, said Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo.

Gobind, who is a practicing lawyer, said Section 428 of the Penal Code was the appropriate law to be applied in this case.

Section 428 states that those who kill, poison or maim animals will face a maximum three year jail sentence, fine, or both.

"We cannot allow this kind of incident to go by without a response.

"Animals have rights too and it is our responsibility to see to it that justice is done for them by enforcing those laws which are in place to protect them," said Gobind in a statement today.

Gobind was referring to public outcry over a Singapore national identified as Terry Yee, who viciously beat a dog with a helmet. The incident was caught on security cameras.

Yee has since apologised. He claimed that he was having a bad day and "snapped" after the dog, known as Furby, attacked him. He also claimed that the dog had previously attacked him before.

Yesterday, a group of 50 animal lovers gathered at Taman Melody to call for Yee's arrest.

The Department of Veterinary Services are presently investigating the incident under Section 44 of the Animal Act 1953. It carries a penalty of up to RM200 fine, up to six months imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.

Parliament had also enacted the Animal Welfare Act 2015, which would enhance the penalty for animal cruelty. Under the new law, an offender can be fined between RM20,000 to RM100,000, imprisoned up to three years, or both.

However, the new law has yet to come into force.