A man believed to be the individual in a viral video showing him slapping and throwing a monkey has been arrested by police along with his friend who recorded the incident.
Both suspects, aged 24 and 28, were detained at 10 PM on Friday during a raid in the Jelawang area, following public complaints after the footage sparked outrage among netizens and animal welfare organisations.
The two were brought to the Kota Bharu Magistrate’s Court on Saturday for a remand application.
The court later granted a four-day remand order until Tuesday for both suspects, issued by Magistrate Amin Rashidi Ramli.
Bachok District Police Chief Superintendent Mohamad Ismail Jamluddin confirmed the arrests when contacted by Sinar Harian.
Mohamad Ismail Jamluddin
The case is being investigated under Section 44(1)(a) of the Animals Act 1953 for acts of cruelty or harm to animals, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the dissemination of offensive content on social media.
Animal rights group demanded swift action
The video, which surfaced on social media, showed a chained monkey being slapped, kicked, and choked, sparking widespread outrage.
This prompted Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM), an animal rights NGO, to urge authorities to act quickly and encourage witnesses to come forward.
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Also read: M’sian NGO Calls for Action After Video of Man Beating & Choking a Chained-Up Monkey Goes Viral
