KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — A man who drew public anger in a viral video for mistreating a cat was fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here today.

Judge Norina Zainol Abidin imposed the sentence on Goh Kuan Pan, 43, after he pleaded guilty to the charge of dragging a British Shorthair cat by the neck with a rope, which caused inhumane suffering to the cat in the corridor of an apartment in Jalan Klang Lama near here between 11.17 pm and 11.42 pm, on Nov 21.

The judge also ordered him to be jailed for two months if he fails to pay the fine.

The charge was made in accordance with Section 44(1)(d) of the Animals Act 1953 which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a maximum imprisonment of one year.

On Nov 25, Bernama reported that police arrested a man in Jalan Klang Lama on suspicion of abusing the (British Shorthair) cat, which is a pedigree version of the traditional British domestic cat.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the local man was arrested by a team from the Criminal Investigation Division (D9), Brickfields district police headquarters at his residence at 6.10 pm. — Bernama