Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan responded to the viral incident involving staff at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK), Senayan, who were seen placing cats in plastic bags for relocation purposes. According to Anies, cats should not be treated in such a manner.
Anies made these remarks after attending a gathering with the Jakarta branch of Pemuda Pancasila in Pejaten, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
“Cats are living beings with the right to live well, and we have a responsibility in Jakarta to ensure that all living creatures can live decently. So, don't treat these cats as pests,” Anies said.
Anies is known as a cat lover, owning six cats named Wednesday, Moca, Lego, Aslan, Oboy, and Snowball, which he cares for at his home.
“These cats are creatures of God, and we humans have a responsibility to manage all of this, including taking good care of the cats,” Anies added.
According to Anies, placing cats in plastic bags is entirely inappropriate. He considers such actions inhumane.
“Never do something like that. It is completely devoid of civilized values, far from the fundamental principles of compassion,” Anies Baswedan emphasized.
Suggests GBK Collaborate with Animal Lover Communities
Anies suggested that GBK staff should take care of the cats frequently found in the area by involving animal lover communities to find the best solutions for their care.
“I believe these cats should be taken care of, invite the communities, and from our experience, when managing such issues, involve animal lover communities to find the most appropriate solutions,” he said.
Anies pointed out that animal lovers have the experience, innovation, networks, and resources needed to address issues related to cats that are often seen as problematic.
“For instance, cats are often seen as a problem, but they should be seen as an opportunity to show love for animals. So, involve the communities and never put cats in plastic bags; that is absolutely not allowed,” Anies concluded.
Viral Incident of GBK Staff Wrapping Cats in Plastic Bags
Previously reported, a video showing cats being placed in plastic bags at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium went viral on social media. The video, shared by TikTok user @gravvsr, shows pest control staff capturing two cats and placing them in plastic sacks.
The orange and grey cats were then taken out of the GBK area.
“A venue like GBK using plastic bags for cats… It's crazy,” said the video owner, as quoted by Health Liputan6.com on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
The video was reposted by various animal lover accounts and went viral on social media. One of those who highlighted the video was animal welfare activist Francine Widjodjo from Jakarta Ramah Hewan.
Francine pointed out that GBK prohibits visitors from feeding cats in the main stadium's ring road area. This announcement was made in the form of posters placed around the stadium.
“Cats are adorable, but their waste is troublesome. Do not feed cats in the main ring road area of GBK,” the poster stated.
Francine suggested that GBK should designate specific areas for feeding stray cats, similar to what has been done by Jakarta's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).
“Showing love shouldn't eliminate empathy. It's really sad to read this announcement at GBK. A better solution would be to provide designated spots for feeding, as done by MRT Jakarta. It would be even better if accompanied by sterilization to control the population,” Francine posted on her Instagram.
Staff Clarification
The viral video of pest control staff putting cats in plastic sacks prompted those involved to make a clarification video.
“Actually, I did not use plastic because I wanted to. It was urgent. The pet cargo we brought was torn by the cats' claws. And I did not abuse pets or live animals; it was a temporary solution,” said Wahyu, one of the staff, in the clarification video.
“We captured them to relocate them to a more suitable place,” he added.
Wahyu and his colleague Dede also showed that the other pet cargo they had was already in use for other cats.
Due to the lack of available pet cargo, they were forced to temporarily place the orange cat in a plastic sack.
However, they assured that there was no abuse of the cats. Wahyu showed in the video that the viral cat was now in their office, healthy and well.
“The cat we caught yesterday is still healthy and we are taking care of it. We did not abuse or randomly catch it; we are taking care of the cat and I apologize deeply for transporting the cat in such a way,” Wahyu concluded. ***
