The Animal Welfare Act (2015) is a clear and comprehensive law setting the standard for good animal welfare across Malaysia. While not formally recognising animal sentience, the Animal Welfare Act (2015) and other regulations acknowledge not only that animals are able to suffer and that their mental wellbeing is also important. The National Animal Welfare Strategy aims to make Malaysia a leader in animal welfare, not just in South East Asia but across the world. Regulations such as the Malaysian Code of Practice on the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Research (2010) provide detailed guidance on animal care and place the responsibility of that care on individuals and organisations in ownership of the animals in question. Similarly, there are total bans on some inherently cruel activities, including animal fighting and baiting, which are to be commended.

While there have been many improvements in the animal welfare legislation for Malaysia, there are some areas that need to be addressed. Hunting, while legal with a licence, is not regulated to ensure animal welfare is a consideration for all participants. Similarly, while wild animals are only allowed to be bred and kept by licence holders, there is significant illegal wildlife trade in Malaysia, including the keeping of wild animals as pets. A further concern is an inconsistency in government-led inspections of regulated facilities. For example, scientific research facilities must be inspected every six months, but there is no such inspection schedule for zoos and other captive animal venues.

Governance of animal welfare in Malaysia is held across two government ministries – the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. While the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for all animals covered by the Animal Welfare Act (2015), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment holds jurisdiction over all wildlife – both wild and captive-bred. Generally, animal welfare in Malaysia is overseen by the Animal Welfare Board, which was established under the Animal Welfare Act (2015). The board membership includes representatives from multiple ministries and local authorities to ensure its mandates to produce guidelines, and to promote and educate on animal welfare, are cohesive and disseminated across the country.

Since the API was first published in 2014, Malaysia has introduced new animal welfare legislation and enforcement regulations. This process included the passing of the Animal Welfare Act (2015) and supplementary regulations. The Government of Malaysia has collaborated with the OIE through the development of the National Animal Welfare Strategy, the Animal Welfare Act (2015) and supporting regulations and codes of practice.

The Government of Malaysia is encouraged to continue to develop and improve its animal welfare legislation, building on the progress made over the past several years. The Government is encouraged to align all animal welfare under one ministry to ensure good animal welfare protections for all species. The Government of Malaysia is strongly urged to ban cruel practices, such as the culling of dogs for population and rabies control. Further legal and policy recommendations are associated with each indicator and contained in the relevant sections of this report.