Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals

News of cruelty against animals hit the newspapers just after Hari Raya, early September. There is no need to repeat on what was reported. Actually it is about a private boarding home or "hotel" for cats where cat owners can leave them under the care of the operator for a fee. In this case the operator was negligent and about 200 cats were starved and some died. It was the statement by the DG of Veterinary Services Department that the Animal Welfare Act would be introduced that drew my attention and prompted me to narrate an incident written by S. Durai Raja Singam in his book "Malayan Tit Bits" : .......
Many years ago the magistrate at Pait Buntar was trying a case of ill-treatment of a bullock which had a sore neck
After the police sergeant had given his evidence, there was no defence from the bullock owner. But the case did not end there.
The police sergeant was called back into the box, and instead of a compliment for the arrest the following dialogue took place;
Magistrate: You arrested this man at Selama. Now, how far is Selama from Parit Buntar?
Sergeant : Twenty-two miles
Magistrate: And how did you come here?
Sergeant : By bullock cart.
Magistrate: Using the same bullock?
Sergeant : Yes
Magistrate: Well, you too are fined $5 for ill treating a bullock.
The court broke into laughter. It was a case of biter bit.

You see, in the early 1900s there was already a law on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mind you on working animals! Wonder what has happened to the "hotel operator"!!!!!

Mustapha Hussain - Malay Nationalism Before UMNO

It was RPK's Malaysia Today that I read about Mustapha Hussain. I am not a historian nor a political analyst to comment. However, I have something to share to those who may not be aware. It is a paper on Malayan History - Kaum Muda - Kaum Tuah: Innovation and Reaction amongst the Malays, 1900-1941 by William Roff presented at the First International Conference of South East Asian Historians Singapore 1961. Here are some excerpts from the paper.

"It was in 1937 that Ibrahim Yaacob and Ishak bin Haji Muhammad formed the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM - Young Malay Union). Members were recruited mainly from the students of Sultan Idris Training College, the Agricultural College at Serdang and the Trade School in Kuala Lumpur. Sutan Djenain one of the original refugees from the collapse of the 1926 rbellionin Java, acted as liaisonbetween the KMM and the Malayan Communist Party. The political platform of the KMM was vague, and never elaborated in any contemporary document. Its chief components were a generalised anti-colonialism (expresed in the slogan 'non cooperation'), independence for Malaya, and union of Malaya within a Greater Indonesia (Indonesia Raya)."
This extract is not meant to counter any opinion or historical events.
I am attracted to this article because of the following:
a) am a graduate from Serdang - never knew that late Mustapha was in Serdang
b) Sukarno was against the formation of Malaysia in 1963 when Greater Indonesia was
hatched in 1937

Comments or additional info are welcomed!