Saving our cats - volunteers need a helping hand by Goh Boon Choo

12 May 2006

DAVID Hooi, the Bedok North serial cat killer who was first expected to be released on May 10, has been out of jail since April 14.

There was no warning of his early release, but the resident-volunteers, whose six-month vigil sent him to jail, quickly mobilised and resumed patrolling the area at night. They are led by one Ms Sharifah, who does the graveyard shift.

During his trial, Hooi had pledged that "he made a mistake and would not do it again". And yet, when concerned volunteers recently visited him in his flat to try to help the now jobless man, Hooi was allegedly recorded on tape as saying he did no wrong.

Other volunteers have been concerned enough to post their accounts and fears on catwelfare.blogspot.com ? the Cat Welfare Society's blog.

Ms Sharifah told me that on April 25, she saw Hooi playing with a kitten and she contacted a male volunteer. Both allegedly saw Hooi picking up the kitten and heading for home. The volunteer followed Hooi, and Ms Sharifah called the police. At his flat, the kitten struggled and ran out before Hooi could close the door. When Hooi went downstairs again, the police had arrived. They spoke to Hooi and left.

Ms Sharifah added that the next night, at about 2.30am, she and a female volunteer saw Hooi with a cat in his arms at the lift lobby. The volunteer persuaded Hooi to release the cat and gave him coffee money in return. Ms Sharifah called the police, who later checked Hooi's flat.

(Editor's note: The police confirmed that they received both calls. On the second occasion, officers checked the flat and found nothing.)

Have his two months in jail taught Hooi the intended lesson? While appeals by the volunteers have resulted in more police patrols, the resident-volunteers of Bedok North are still concerned.

Coincidentally, more serial killers have surfaced. A Bedok South resident throws cats from the top of the HDB block where he presumably lives. The Old Airport Road killer strangles or stabs cats with screwdrivers (see Lynn Lam's letter, "Cat-killings still a problem", May 8). Carcasses are lined along the top level of the two car parks, or used to decorate trees in the area.

As happened in Hooi's case, concerned residents in the Bedok South and Old Airport Road areas have teamed up, patrolled and gathered clues on the killers' habits and routines, and identified suspects. But still, no arrests have been made.

Some witnesses seemed more frightened of talking to the police than of confronting the killers. And the police apparently take action only if there are witnesses to the whole torture process. Such attitudes have repeatedly frustrated pro-active volunteers.

These cases came to light because of civic-minded residents who collaborated of their own accord. But these are the exception. How many serial abusers are killing with impunity because Singaporeans don't care?

Should the police not assume a more active role, and remove the risks volunteers take with night patrolling, investigating and confronting abusers?

And then there's the question of deterrence. Short jail stints, by themselves, are like hitting the pause button on a movie DVD. Upon release, convicted abusers may resume their macabre ways if not given the right rehabilitation.

Let's not wait for the person to graduate to a human victim ? a possible scenario, going by well-documented precedents in other countries ? before measures such as compulsory counselling, psychiatric help, injunctions against being near animals, caning and deterrent sentences are implemented.

Abusers' impulsion to torture animals must be understood and removed. Indeed, the volunteers who have been the pro-active players throughout Hooi's case are now seeking the Moral Family Service Centre's help to counsel him.

They are also stepping up their self-funded cat sterilisation efforts in the area, but their work is hampered by tight personal finances. It must concern us all that volunteers are taking the actions the authorities should have taken before, during and after Hooi's sentence.

This is contributed by a reader with an interest in animal welfare issues.