Reknowned Hollywood actress Pamela Anderson has urged KFC (Malaysia) Holdings Bhd to improve the welfare of live chickens being raised by the company.

Her appeal was made through a letter addressed to KFC group executive chairperson Izahar Sulaiman with an accompanying DVD that features explicit footage of American KFC employees in the abusing live chickens, kicking them across the room and stomping on their heads.

The letter signed by former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson alleges that chickens raised for KFC are bred and drugged to grow so large that they become crippled under their own weight.

The gathering process of these birds is so rough that it often breaks the wings and legs, according to a copy of the letter made available to malaysiakini.

At the slaughterhouse, millions of chickens are dunked into scalding-hot water while they are still conscious, it said.

"Additionally, they often have their beaks cut off with a hot blade when they're chicks - without the use of painkillers," Anderson said.

Peta recommendations

She urged KFC's executive to adopt People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal's (Peta) recommendations for improving the animal's welfare:

• Creating guidelines to protect chickens in farms that would provide proper lighting conditions, living space and prohibiting intentional starvation of breeding birds

The international campaign co-ordinated by Peta has won the endorsement of the Dalai Lama (right), singer Paul McCartney and popular hip-hop group the Black Eye Peas.

Repeated attempts to obtain an official response from KFC Holdings were futile. A public relations officer had initially promised a response but backed down later.

However, a source within the company insists that the lurid description within letter and the video was not reflective of KFC's operations in Malaysia.

The source added that the process of raising and processing chickens for Malaysian KFC restaurants are in compliance with rules set out by the Health Ministry and local authorities.