Malaysian mall scraps pet-friendly policy after uproar

Govt intervenes after Malay-Muslims say dogs' presence disrespectful to community

- Hadi Azmi

Sunway Square Mall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, opened on Dec 11 with a pet-friendly policy but this sparked protests and boycott calls from Malay-Muslims, who saw it as an affront to Islamic views on ritual impurity.

(BERNAMA)

A row over dogs in public spaces has forced a newly opened shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, to reverse its petfriendly policy within a week, following objections from Muslim groups and intervention by the state government.

When Sunway Square Mall opened on Dec 11, it rolled out an open-door policy for humans and pets alike. But this soon sparked protests and boycott calls from Malay-Muslims, who see the move as an affront to Islamic views on ritual impurity and disrespectful to the community that forms the majority in Malaysia.

In a statement posted on Instagram on Dec 18, the mall said it had updated its pet policy with immediate effect, following a directive from the state government.

"In compliance with this directive, pets are not permitted within the enclosed indoor premises of Sunway Square Mall to ensure a safe, hygienic and comfortable environment for all visitors," the mall said.

However, visitors are welcome to take their pets to a designated outdoor pet-friendly park nearby.

The policy reversal came a day after the Selangor state's executive council member for local government and tourism, Mr Ng Suee Lim, told the media that the state maintains a prohibition on allowing pets into malls to preserve community harmony.