FIRST it was the public uproar stemming from the Negri Sembilan state assembly unanimously agreeing to the culling of stray dogs in predominantly Malay-Muslim residential areas to address safety concerns.
Now the sight of a single black dog taking a dip in the waters of Pantai Saujana in Batu 4 Port Dickson has gone viral since the weekend, sparking discomfort among Muslim beachgoers in view of religious insensitivity.
Most ridiculously, many netizens – without first verifying the dog’s origin – instantaneously blamed the dog’s owner for the act of bringing the animal to the beach despite the Port Dickson Municipal Council (MPPD) having erected a signboard to warn visitors against bringing their pets along.
Generally non-Muslim Malaysians who are in the tight frame of mind would understand the religious sensitivity of their Muslim compatriots when it comes to taking their pet dogs for a stroll or outing in public spaces.
Interestingly, a browse at the Sinar Harian Facebook post which featured the dog’s ‘splashing’ adventure under the headline “Dog ‘Bathing’ at the PD Beach Sparks Visitors’ Unease” (translated) could prove touching as not all Muslims view dogs as both dirty and despisable.
Though in the minority, they nevertheless defended the dog’s right “to also feel and enjoy the ocean created by God”.
Some even chided the critics for their misplaced sensitivity given “sea waters are already inundated with filth from everywhere, including one’s very own”.
At the end of the day, some commenters hit out at the Sinar Harian article for kicking up a fuss with the hidden motive of inciting racial hatred with one netizen describing “the lone dog as more noble than the story writer”.
“The person who wrote this story is not only ignorant about Islam but also vilifies Islam in the eyes of non-Muslims,” he lambasted. – May 20, 2025
