Animal welfare groups and pet owners have welcomed the government’s consideration of a dedicated fund and tax relief for pet owners, though some activists warned that one-off grants will not fix Malaysia’s stray animal crisis.
The government signalled its openness to the proposal after NST reported that PMO political secretary Datuk Azman Abidin acknowledged the lack of a special budget had forced most NGOs and animal shelters to self-fund their rescue and care operations.
Azman spoke after officiating a dialogue session with agencies, NGOs, and pet industry stakeholders in Kuala Lumpur, as reported by Malay Mail. He said all proposals and legal improvements from the session would be compiled into an official paper for the government.
“When there is special funding, we can request them to follow the existing SOP to obtain the funds so that they learn how to manage these animals,” Azman told reporters.
Stray Animal Foundation Malaysia (SAFM) president Kalaivanan A/L Ravichandran pushed for an initial allocation of at least RM50 million in the first year, rising towards RM100 million annually. He said sterilisation must be the main priority, with grooming and cosmetic procedures excluded from any tax relief.
“Sterilisation must be the main priority because Malaysia cannot solve the stray population problem by repeatedly catching animals after they have already reproduced,” Kalaivanan said.
PAWS coordinator Jonathan Yeoh said government aid would “drastically ease financial strain” on shelters. The shelter, which cares for more than 500 cats and dogs, spends about RM80,000 a month on operations amid rising costs and falling donations.
“Funding is the lifeline of an animal shelter, transforming voluntary rescues into structured, sustainable care,” he said, while urging the government to speed up approval alongside stricter breeding regulation.
But The Star reported that activists cautioned that good intentions have not always translated into sustained action. Liza Shariff pointed to Negri Sembilan, which introduced a “No Kill Policy” with an initial RM100,000 allocation for a Trap-Neuter-Return programme, only for funding to stop within a year.
MDDB Canine Welfare Society president Wani Muthiah said the society has been operating a shelter and palliative unit for old, terminal, and disabled dogs for 18 years. “Raising funds to meet our expenses is a recurring nightmare every month,” she said.
Mutts and Mittens president Chong Choon Kit said average monthly expenses for its rescue centre run between RM20,000 and RM30,000. He called for mandatory microchipping of pets, citing Singapore, Germany, and Japan as examples.
Malaysia Animal Association president Dr Arie Dwi Andika said the association has never received government or corporate funding despite years of stray management work with city councils. Cat owner Munirah Bakar, who cares for four rescued cats, suggested a subsidy scheme like MyKasih would be more accessible than tax exemptions.
Azman said the pet industry is growing rapidly, creating economic opportunities in food and veterinary services. He stressed that pet issues require collaboration among government agencies, local authorities, NGOs, veterinarians, industry players, academia, and the community.
