PETALING JAYA: A popular shopping mall has come under fire after one of its security guards allegedly bashed a street dog to death with a heavy wooden bat.
According to a resident living near the mall, the incident happened at about midnight Saturday.
"My family and I heard a dog howling three times from the car park of the mall with the third and final howl being the most pitiful," said Lye Jin Kit, 25.
Lye said he rushed to the car park with his brother and parents, and saw a foreign security guard standing over the dying dog with the bat still in his hand.
He said the dog was still alive but was bleeding from the head and its eyes had also turned red.
"We were scolding the guard when his supervisor came to the scene and took the bat away. He told us he did not instruct the guard to hit the dog to death," said Lye.
Lye said he believed the dog could have taken shelter at the entrance of the mall, adding that the guard may have chased it in and cornered the animal before hammering it to death.
"It had been raining heavily at that time and the dog may have just been taking shelter there," he added.
Lye said his mother had seen the dog around and she believed it was a dumped pet as the animal was clean and well kept.
When contacted, a mall employee who was on duty said the guard belonged to a private company hired by the mall management to provide security services.
"Our management is investigating the matter as we do not condone animal abuse," she said.
Lawyer Mohan Ramakrishnan urged the Department of Veterinary Services to act and at the same time, advised animal rescue groups and animal lovers to be cautious on how they handle the matter.
"For proper prosecution and delivery of justice, the investigations should not be marred by unnecessary drama," said Mohan.
Malaysian Mental Health Association deputy president Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj said the incident highlighted the need for all security services companies to ensure their guards undergo a psychiatric and psychological evaluation.
"Why did the guard turn so violent and fly into a rage over a small matter such as a street dog taking shelter at the car park? Something must be terribly wrong," he added.
He said the mall management must also request the guard to go through a urine test to find out if the man was under the influence of drugs.
