SINGAPORE: Member of Parliament (MP) Lee Bee Wah is not against proper, supervised cat feeding, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday (Feb 16).
“She was asking for it to be relooked where there were specific local problems,” Mr Shanmugam said in a Facebook post addressing criticism directed at Ms Lee over her Parliament speech this week, where she touched on animal management in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates.
AdvertisementMr Shanmugam said that Ms Lee, his fellow Nee Soon GRC MP, has been subjected to "free speech" abuse from avatar accounts and trolls, while some of the genuine commentators seem to have misunderstood her.
“They need to look at her speech carefully, and in context of the issues faced by residents,” he wrote.
In her speech in support of the National Parks Board (Amendment Bill) on Tuesday, Ms Lee highlighted the problem that "some cat feeders cause to our community", saying that residents in some areas have complained about rats. This drew criticism from animal welfare group the Cat Welfare Society (CWS).
[h=3]WATCH: Lee Bee Wah on National Parks Board (Amendment) Bill[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementMr Shanmugam said that he was aware of the residents' issues related to hygiene problems due to irresponsible feeders, as well as the issues faced by animal welfare groups, including CWS.
Mr Shanmugam shared that he brought CWS into a project in Nee Soon some years ago. He also secured co-funding from the Government and his grassroots, as well as bringing agencies and the Town Council to the table to support CWS projects and responsible cat feeding in the area.
“At the same time, I know the issues residents have, particularly when our good work is derailed by irresponsible feeders … Their actions cause hygiene problems for residents – rats and cockroaches and so on,” he said.
Animal activists are aware that a root cause of pest problems are unsupervised food sources, which is what Ms Lee raised in Parliament, said Mr Shanmugam, adding that she was not against proper, supervised cat feeding.
"Some commentators also seem to think that Dr Lee had asked for a complete stop to the two-hour feeding period. That is untrue," said Mr Shanmugam.
The two-hour feeding period refers to the time window where food has to be cleared within two hours from being placed on the ground.
In Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun Xueling's response to Ms Lee’s Parliament speech, she shared that the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is only reviewing the two-hour rule in areas that faced pest issues, such as rat infestation problems.
"Where necessary, AVA and NEA will work with CWS to tighten processes, for instance, to ask the feeders to stay close to the cats during feeding time and clear all unfinished food immediately," said Mr Shanmugam.
“ISSUE STRUCK A CHORD”
Mr Shanmugam also commented on the criticism of laughter in Parliament in response to parts of Ms Lee's speech.
"The truth is that the issue struck a chord with the MPs. It is a real issue that residents face. MPs know the frustrations from the feedback they receive," he said.
"Dr Lee was doing her duty as a responsible MP – to look after her residents and speak up for them. Anyone who thinks that there is no problem with the issue, ought to visit and talk to residents."
The animal rights cause has "grown from strength to strength" in the last 10 years, with many positive rule changes to support the cause, said Mr Shanmugam, citing government agencies regularly partnering with and engaging animal welfare groups.
"I have personally championed many of the rule changes, have supported many animal welfare groups – gave them space in Chong Pang, showcased their activities, supported their events, spoke publicly on what needed to be done to protect animals, and more," he said.
Mr Shanmugam added that he also spotted and worked to bring Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng into politics. Mr Ng is also the founder of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).
“I believed he can be a good MP for his residents, and at the same time I thought he can help with animal rights causes. I also asked for him to be in my GRC,” Mr Shanmugam said.
[h=3]READ: I was not speaking out against animals and activists: Lee Bee Wah responds to criticism of speech[/h]STRIKING A BALANCE
Mr Shanmugam added that a balance needs to be struck between a cause people passionately believe in, and the sentiments of residents who have to face disamenities.
He said that he has always given priority to residents' concerns while educating them on animal welfare, as well as working to advance the cause of animal welfare.
Mr Shanmugam referred to a problem with irresponsible cat and pigeon feeders in Chong Pang, saying that although the MPs "went out to put a stop to that", it still happens.
"We need the support of residents, if we want to be effective in protecting wildlife," concluded Mr Shanmugam.
"Such support cannot come from ignoring residents’ views, or trying to shut up MPs who speak about residents’ concerns. Nor does it do public discourse any favour to deliberately twist what an MP says, and then use straw man arguments to say she is wrong."
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