A deputy minister says the stray animal programme run by the Perak State Government should become a model for the rest of Malaysia. He made the case during remarks in Ipoh on October 1. Perak, he argued, has taken a sustainable and responsible approach to a problem that many local councils struggle with. The programme has built a reputation for dealing with street animals in a humane and organised manner. Because of that, he said, other states would do well to study it and adapt its methods. Strays remain a sore point in Malaysian towns, where populations of dogs and cats keep growing. He expressed hope that the approach would spread well beyond Perak in the years ahead.