A man in Malaysia has been arrested on suspicion of animal abuse, after a viral video emerged showing a white cat being skinned.

In a media release by the chief of Klang district police, a 33-year-old male foreign national was arrested at Batu Belah, Klang, Selangor on Jun. 25. 2024.

The chief stated that a witness reported the video on Jun. 24, after receiving the video showing a man skinning the cat.

The 33-year-old male suspect who was arrested is believed to be involved in the video.

A mobile phone belonging to the suspect was seized for investigation.

Reward offered

Previously, the Malaysia Animal Association posted on Facebook about the video, and offered an RM3,000 (S$863) reward to find the man who skinned the cat.

The non-government organisation shared pictures of the man and his acts on their Facebook page on Jun. 24, 2024.

The association also shared the video in the comment section.

Armed with a chopper

In the video, the man appeared to be speaking in broken Malay, wielding a chopper in one hand.

His other hand was holding down what appeared to be a dead cat, with what appeared to be blood on its fur.

It is unclear whether the man in the video killed the cat.

Another person could be seen helping the man, as he took the chopper to the cat's shoulder blade and skinned it.

At one point in the video, the man apparently said that the cat was "looking delicious" and "good to be cooked".

According to the Malaysia Animal Association, the man in the video is believed to be an employee of a snack shop in Selangor, who lives in Klang Selangor.

The association claimed that the man is a Myanmar national who speaks Malay with a foreign accent.

It also called for a thorough investigation of the incident, whether the cat was killed for food or other reasons.

Top photos via Malaysia Animal Association/Facebook