YOURSAY 'It would be fantastic if we could just press the forward button to the Umno elections right now so that Malaysians do not have to put up with this doggone craziness.'

Dog trainer arrested over video Raya greeting

Ferdtan: This is the worst ‘puasa month' that Malaysia has ever experienced since Independence. Suddenly the government authorities are becoming so sensitive of any perceived show of disrespect of Islam that it had lost its head over the matter.

Even the three-year old video of Maznah Mohd Yusof and her dogs is being made used of. It started when the silly sex couple Alvivi (read: Chinese) allegedly insulted Islam in their blog. Despite apologising, they were punished even before going to trial.

Then you have a Muslim principal making non-Muslim students eat in a washroom to avoid been seen by the fasting students. It could just be a simple mistake on the part of the headmaster and an apology would have ended the controversy. But no, he was hailed as ‘hero' by many Muslim supporters led by obviously Umno leaders.

Then the film ‘The New Village' was said by Umno politicians to have glorified communism. The real target of this accusation is clearly the Chinese community.

Even their fellow Muslim Malaysians, PAS leaders, were not left out; it seems that the recent stories in mainstream media of curbing to stop the spread of the Shia sect in Malaysia was possibly targeted at PAS leaders. They are seen to be sympathetic to their teaching.

So why all these events arise out of the blue? The answer - Umno elections.

Deputy PM Muhyiddin Yassin (possibly running for the top Umno post in the coming party election) confirmed it as he added oil to such controversies when he should be stopping them.

He said : "Insulting Islam will create tension in the country. This shows that there is no deep understanding within society. Muslims do not insult the religion of non-Muslims, such as Christianity and Hinduism. But non-Muslims are insulting our religion."

My friends, this is our deputy prime minster speaking, not someone from a local coffee shop. We hope the many thousands of voting Umno members in the coming election do what many fair-minded Malaysians cannot do in the last GE - please get rid of the bigoted and racist Umno leaders.

Hjsingh: Every moment, the K9 unit and the canine border control unit and the Smart rescue dog unit are ready to deploy to protect, save lives and we trivalise the contribution of our canine friends like this?

What kind of mentality is it that causes people to take offence just because canines are depicted in a video by a person who works with these animals, genuinely believes in the animals and has no intention to cause offence?

The moral health of a nation can be gauged by how we treat and respect our animals. This anti-dog dogma and hysteria has gone on for far too long unchallenged and it's high time some common sense prevails and some heed paid to why the canine is referred to as mankind's best friend.

If this nonsense keeps up, next time man's best friend may not be there to help us when it is most needed.

Odin: Maznah's dogs have far more sense and intelligence - and cleanliness, too - than the police and the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) combined.

The video was made and posted three years ago, for goodness' sake! And taking the cake must surely be Muhyiddin for displaying his complete imbecility and total bigotry when he accused non-Muslims of insulting Islam through that video.

I put him a thousand leagues below the dogs.

Hearty Malaysian: Is this not typical of Umno politicians, who claimed to be Allah-fearing Muslims, to quickly demand actions against anyone whom they deemed insulting Islam but in actual fact they are corrupt and making lies which are forbidden in Islam?

Our DPM has to set example of trying to unite Malaysians of all races instead of continuing to bash non-Muslims, including this dog lover care for the dogs. If Saudi Arabians are allowed to keep dogs, what is the issue if a Muslim want to take care of dogs here?

Tehachapi: Witch hunting is now going on full-time in Malaysia and it is the main object of the Umno government of the day. It has arrogated to itself the power to probe into the words and way of life of ordinary citizen.

The Big Brother is watching your every move - how you eat, where you s**t and who you sleep with.

Is there nothing better for this Umno government to be concerned with, when murders are committed in broad daylight and all the police can do is to investigate a dog trainer and her dogs?

Unspin: If dogs can talk, these Umno leaders would have them arrested for sedition too because they are so desperate to show that they are the real defenders of Islam and the Malay race ahead of the Umno election.

It would be fantastic if we could just press the forward button to the Umno elections right now so that Malaysians do not have to put up with this doggone craziness.

Fantastic4: When the party ceased to be relevant to the rakyat, every little excuse can be used to create rife. The saddest part is the waste of the country resources just to satisfy the vile of some of these illiterate people who can't see beyond their foolishness.

In the meantime, as the crime rate sours, the PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) laments about the lack of manpower. What has this country become?

Gunnerrun: Please read the story of Kabang, the heroic dog from the Philippines who saved the lives of two children and in the process nearly sacrificing his.

There are countless other similar stories of dogs risking their lives to save humans, many of whom are strangers to the dogs.

CQ Muar: There are many things humans do which are much dirtier in contrast, but many things dog do, humans can hardly emulate, for example faithfulness and loyalty.

In the canine world, nothing will ever sway them to turn against their owners or masters. For countless centuries, dogs had been trained to save and assist the human species, even 'lend an eye' to the blind.

In this context, can humans be counted on and trusted to carry out such instructions and duties, except to cheat, criticise and condemn?

For those ignorant and hypocritical critics - get this fact straight in your head: Except for strays, all dogs are kept clean, and for that matter, cleaner than most human.

Nonetheless, we hear of many humans born stupid. Conversely, we hardly hear of a dog being stupid. Hopefully, Muhyiddin can pick up a lesson or two from here.

Nora.hs: The video is three years' old. What this woman chooses to do with her life is her problem. She is not a criminal. So why can't important police resources be used to catch gun-toting criminals?

Hang Babeuf: In legal history, an animal trial was the criminal trial of a non-human. Such trials are recorded as having taken place in Europe from the 13th century until the 18th.

In modern times, it is considered in most criminal justice systems that non-human creatures lack moral agency and so cannot be held culpable for an act. Animals, including insects, faced the possibility of criminal charges for several centuries across many parts of Europe.

The earliest extant record of an animal trial is the execution of a pig in 1266 at Fontenay-aux-Roses. Such trials remained part of several legal systems until the 18th century.

Animal defendants appeared before both church and secular courts, and the offences alleged against them ranged from murder to criminal damage.

Human witnesses were often heard and in Ecclesiastical courts they were routinely provided with lawyers (this was not the case in secular courts, but for most of the period concerned, neither were human defendants).

If convicted, it was usual for an animal to be executed, or exiled. Animals put on trial were almost invariably either domesticated ones (most often pigs, but also bulls, horses, and cows) or pests such as rats and weevils.

Creatures that were suspected of being familiar spirits or complicit in acts of bestiality were also subjected to judicial punishment, such as burning at the stake, though few, if any, ever faced trial.

Khoo Ewe Choo: I hope the authorities will be lenient with Maznah. She meant no harm. Insulting her religion would be the last thing in her mind.

Anonymous #68219004: Every day, I see stupid, ignorant and prejudiced people holding office and talking a bunch of crap.

If you believe everything on Earth is God's creation, then you will realise all these do's and dont's are man-made and twisted to suit their own selfish agendas.

They must be stopped before ruining whatever decency, justice and rights is left. I cry for you, Malaysia.

Pacific.rim: PDRM, what about the dogs? Are they to be arrested as well?

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