SINGAPORE — Since starting Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) with only an S$8,000 donation in his pocket more than a decade ago, Mr Louis Ng has been playing a substantial role in bringing about landmark changes to the animal welfare landscape in Singapore.

Apart from clamouring for harsher penalties for animal abusers and attempting to end illegal wildlife trade, he has also worked closely with Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam in the past five years in launching pilot programmes for the keeping of cats in HDB flats and ending the culling of stray cats in Chong Pang.

ACRES has also been organising the annual Chong Pang Forum on Animal Protection Policies with the Chong Pang Division since 2011. The forum has led to significant policy changes such as the proposed amendments to the Animals and Birds Act, in which penalties for animal abuse will be increased, among other things.

Citing the Chong Pang examples, Mr Ng said he has been working with People’s Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament and ministers, and that “the track record is that it has worked so far”. “These pilot programmes really started because we worked closely with the politicians and I see that change can happen,” he said.

While animal welfare will always be close to his heart, Mr Ng, who is married with an eight-month-old daughter, said he also wants to champion other causes, such as reviving the kampung spirit and helping less-fortunate families break the poverty cycle.

He hopes to encourage more dialogue between various parties in society, noting that “society is becoming very divided”. “Hopefully, there can be a better bridge between the Government and civil society,” Mr Ng said.

In an email response to TODAY, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said he asked Mr Ng to join the PAP “to help with the outreach on the various fronts”, after seeing a number of projects such as those in Chong Pang and Project ADORE, a programme to rehome mongrels with families living in Housing and Development Board flats.

“I was keen to introduce some of these initiatives here in Marine Parade GRC, where we have quite a number of people who love their pets,” said Mr Tan, who is one of its MPs.

“Louis cares a great deal for the community ... His achievement with ACRES has been very impressive. He has also brought that passion to bear in the work on the ground.” JOY FANG