A man in his 30s was detained by Batu Gajah police after a video surfaced of him beating a kitten with an aluminium broom in Bandar Tasik Idaman, Batu Gajah, on August 19, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The video, which lasted 2 minutes and 19 seconds, showed the man repeatedly hitting the kitten outside his house in a residential area [1, 2].
The suspect admitted to hitting the kitten, explaining he acted because the animal had entered the engine compartment of his vehicle. He said he was trying to prevent harm to the kitten or damage to his vehicle, as ACP Md Noor Aehawan Mohammad stated, "The suspect acted in such a manner because he was concerned that the kitten could be injured and that it could damage his vehicle if the engine was started or the vehicle was driven" [1, 2, 3].
A neighbour who witnessed the abuse at around 12:04 p.m. recorded the incident and alerted police, who received the complaint and footage shortly after [2]. The suspect later surrendered himself at the Batu Gajah police headquarters and was detained for investigation [1, 2, 3].
The kitten survived the assault and was taken by a neighbour to a veterinary clinic for treatment on August 20 [1, 2, 3].
Authorities are investigating the case under Section 428 of the Penal Code for mischief and Section 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 for animal cruelty [1, 2, 3]. Penalties under these laws include imprisonment of up to three years and fines ranging from RM20,000 to RM100,000, or both [1].
The public condemned the incident on social media, with some users urging the suspect’s employer to take action, noting the man appeared to be wearing work attire in the video [3].
Investigation into the matter is ongoing.
