Subang mall scraps pet-friendly policy after state govt rebuke

A shopping mall in the Klang Valley has reversed its move to allow pets on its premises, following the Selangor government’s reminder on a prohibition against such practices.

Subang’s Sunway Square Mall said it had updated its pet policy “with immediate effect” after the state directive reaffirmed by state executive councillor for local government and tourism Ng Suee Lim.

“In compliance with this directive, pets are not permitted within the enclosed indoor premises of Sunway Square Mall to ensure a safe, hygienic, and comfortable environment for all visitors,” the mall said in a statement today.

It noted that pets are only allowed at the designated outdoor pet-friendly park, dubbed Squarrel’s Playground, located at Sunway South Quay Lake.

Pet owners, it added, can transition between the mall’s basement car park and the designated outdoor zone with guidance from its security team.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank the community for their understanding as we comply with the state directive while continuing to serve all visitors with care and respect,” it said.

The mall’s statement was uploaded on its social media pages, with the comments section for the posts closed to disallow comments.

For harmony’s sake?

Yesterday, Ng said Selangor will continue to prohibit pets from being brought into shopping malls, asserting that the policy remains in force while the state government reviews relevant guidelines to maintain community harmony.

“In certain countries, their policy is pet-friendly; they can take their pets here, there, and even into shopping malls and so on.

“But, based on our multiracial culture, we need to carefully consider whether (such) measures can or are suitable to be applied (in places such as shopping malls),” Bernama quoted the Sekinchan assemblyperson as saying.

His statement came after Sunway Square Mall sparked a debate on social media over its move to become the first shopping mall in Malaysia that officially allowed visitors to bring their pets into its premises.

New Straits Times reported that the mall quickly went viral after photos and videos circulated online showing a dog being pushed in a special trolley inside the mall, including near TGV Cinemas.

‘What regulation?’

In response to Ng’s stance, an animal rights NGO today demanded that the Selangor government identify and publish the specific laws in place which prohibit pets from being brought into shopping malls.

Lawyers for Animal Rights spokespersons Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh argued that to date, no statute, subsidiary legislation, local authority by-law, or gazetted guideline has been identified or published to support the existence of such a ban.

The lawyers also reminded Ng that the shopping mall is a privately owned premise and the state has no authority to impose a blanket prohibition on how private property owners regulate lawful behaviour within their premises.

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