KUCHING: A 38-year-old man was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment by the Magistrates’ Court here on Wednesday (Feb 25) for killing a cat with a wooden stick last year.
Shaifulnizam Abdul Rahman @ Latip pleaded guilty to the charge read before Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nadzwa Radzali.
He was charged under Section 428 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to three years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Shaifulnizam committed the offence at a laundry shop near Jalan Astana on Dec 30, 2025, at about 12.17pm.
According to the facts of the case, the complainant saw a video posted on Facebook showing a man striking a cat that was sleeping, resulting in the animal’s death.
Feeling dissatisfied and disturbed by the act, the complainant lodged a police report.
On Jan 1 at about 12pm, police arrested Shaifulnizam and seized several items from him, including a red backpack, a wooden stick, a maroon and black backpack bearing the word “Adidas”, a white and dark blue long-sleeved T-shirt, and a pair of denim shorts.
Police investigations revealed that Shaifulnizam had taken a wooden stick and struck the cat once, causing its death.
The incident was clearly recorded on CCTV at the scene.
A witness saw the cat after it had died and later assisted in burying the carcass.
All clothing and bags seized from Shaifulnizam matched the individual captured in the CCTV footage.
Investigations further found that he attacked the cat because he was unhappy after previously being bitten by a cat in the same area.
The case was prosecuted by deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Afiq Safly Nor Kazly while Shaifulnizam was unrepresented.
