KOTA BARU: Pasir Mas District Council has defended its action of releasing many stray cats at landfills, which recently went viral.
The council's assistant environmental health officer (public health division), Mohd Eliff Ashraf Nor Azman, said the cats were released at the garbage dumping ground in Kampung Pusu 40, also in Pasir Mas.
He added that the stray cats were caught during 'Ops Tangkap Kucing,' which was carried out at Bandar Tasik Raja recently.
"I would like to explain here regarding a video that went viral on account X a few days ago, which claimed that the local municipal council disposed of stray cats by throwing them at the dumping sites.
"We did not throw them there. Instead, we released the cats at the sites after catching them at the Tasik Raja wet market.
"The move was taken following complaints from traders operating at the wet market, who claimed that the stray cats' presence had caused the place to be dirty and filled with their excrement," he said when contacted today.
Eliff said the move was also to ensure the cleanliness of the area in conjunction with the upcoming food festival.
"Such a move (releasing stray cats at a dumping site) is a normal procedure for us. We also want to ensure the state-level food festival, which will be held in the area for three days beginning tomorrow (Feb 9), goes smoothly.
"Apart from that, we have launched a massive gotong-royong to clean the place," he added.
A post by @ninashakirax on X (formerly Twitter) recently showed several workers of a local municipal council in Kelantan disposing of stray cats at a rubbish dumping site, which went viral.
Nina said it was not the first time the municipal council in Kelantan had taken such action.
"Indeed, can your brain only come up with (such) solutions at that level?" she added.
The post also received many comments from netizens who shared their concerns on the matter.
