OUTSPOKEN Jelutong Member of Parliament RSN Rayer has called on the police to investigate and possibly arrest Perlis Mentri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah for discharging a firearm in public.
"Abu Bakar says he did it for public safety as the cow had become aggressive. The viral video clearly shows the cow standing in an open area. No one is seen near the cow. The cow is standing still and is not charging into anyone or into a crowd."
"So why did Abu Bakar shoot the cow then? He definitely did not shoot the cow in the leg because the cow is also seen lying motionless after the Perlis MB fired the shot ."
Rayer said that there is a litany of legal questions emerging from the video.
Among these is why the Perlis leader brought a firearm to a religious event; how did he anticipate that the cow would become aggressive and go berserk, what if a passerby was wounded or even killed by the shot?
Even if Abu Bakar has a permit to own a firearm, it is a serious offence to discharge it in public, said Rayer, who is also a DAP Legal Bureau member.
It is listed under Section 39 of the Firearms Act 1960, where imprisonment and a fine are recommended as punishment.
"Last but not least, why haven't the police arrested Abu Bakar? Is it because he is a Menteri Besar?" asked Rayer.
Yesterday, videos of the incident showing Abu Bakar using a shotgun to shoot a cow went viral on social media.
The Menteri Besar later said he had resorted to such actions as the animal had become aggressive and he was afraid it would hurt someone. - May 30, 2026.
