UPM accused of muzzling staff, students over stray dog killing claims

Summary

• Peka claims that UPM has issued an internal email instructing staff and students to keep mum about the university’s alleged hiring of a contractor to kill stray dogs.

• The environmental NGO says the university has clearly admitted culpability in the alleged email.

• The supposed email tells students and staff to avoid issuing misleading or inaccurate statements about the issue, as it is under investigation.

An environmental NGO has slammed Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for allegedly barring its students and staff from issuing remarks on claims that the education institute had engaged a private contractor to kill stray dogs in its vicinity.

Asserting that the university had made the instruction in an email sent out to its students and employees, the Organisation for the Preservation of National Heritage Malaysia (Peka) criticised the move as being “unconstitutional and illegal”.

“This is a clear attempt by UPM to suppress the freedom of expression of UPM’s students and academic staff in a move unbecoming of an institution of higher learning,” Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan and secretary-general Vimala Raghawan said in a statement today.

They also insisted that sentiments expressed in UPM’s email were a “clear admission” that UPM had engaged a third-party contractor to murder dogs.

“This constitutes an admission of responsibility. Delegating the killing does not absolve liability, UPM has paid money to a private contractor to kill dogs contrary to Section 30(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015,” they stressed.

As such, they called on UPM to issue an apology to the Malaysian public and animal welfare community, as well as implement humane, lawful, and transparent animal management protocols.

They also urged the university’s management to urgently and immediately convene a promised dialogue session with students, NGOs, and the Veterinary Services Department (DVS).

‘Avoid inaccurate, misleading statements’

Based on a screenshot of the purported email, the university acknowledged that it had hired third-party contractors to handle complaints related to disturbances by stray dogs on its campus.

Noting that a report on the matter has been lodged with the DVS and the police, the email “advised” its campus members to avoid making any statements that may be inaccurate or misleading to the public regarding this issue.

This is to maintain integrity and avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations by various authorities, the alleged email said.

“UPM will, from time to time, issue updates through the UPM Centre for Strategy and Corporate Relations on the status of this matter for the information of the campus community.

“As an initial step in addressing this issue at the UPM level, the university has decided to hold a dialogue session with relevant stakeholders to discuss the best approach for managing wild animals on campus,” it added. 

Malaysiakini has contacted UPM for its response on the matter.

‘RM400 per animal’

Earlier this week, Serdang district police chief Farid Ahmad said police have launched an investigation into the alleged culling of stray dogs at UPM’s campus, with a complainant expressing dissatisfaction with the institution for allegedly hiring a private pest control company to kill the animals.

Farid said the investigation is being conducted under Section 30(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015, which provides for a penalty of between RM20,000 and RM100,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both. 

Peka had earlier alleged that UPM had engaged a Sentul-based service company to “kill” dogs at a rate of RM400 per animal.

The company is named in a purported November 2024 invoice sent to UPM for the “catching and disposal of stray dogs”, with the document not detailing the manner in which the dogs were disposed of.

However, the invoice featured several stamps seemingly from UPM authorities.

UPM had later expressed regret over Peka’s allegation that the university had participated in unlawful dog killings by paying a pest control company to kill the animals.

“UPM also takes seriously every feedback and allegation directed at the university regarding the handling of stray animals,” the university said in a statement in which it also announced the launch of an investigation into the matter.

The internal investigation drew backlash from Peka, which argued that “crimes cannot be investigated internally by the offender themselves”.

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