Hi Ballistic, I share your outrage as to the way in which dogs are obviously discriminated against but there are some points to bear in mind.
The park is an open playground for children as well. Dogs taken to the park will inevitably poo . Dog poo can and often does have a parasite which if it gets into the human system can cause severe illness. The parasite gets into the human body by ingestion (eating with dirty hands after playing in the park is a simplistic example). Being made severely ill is a small matter compared to going blind (in extreme cases, the parasite has been known to settle behind the eye, drilling into the optic nerve to anchor itself and making the host blind). Most countries have parks in which the children's play areas are fenced off to prevent dogs from entering. The dogs are free to enjoy the rest of the park. Unfortunately, Malaysian public parks are usually small and last minute allocations of odd scraps of council land so fencing off an area for a children's playground is not feasible. Banning dogs from the park is actually a public health issue.
What it comes down to is that if dog owners were more responsible and civic minded and cleared up their dogs' poo, bans like that wouldn't be necessary. People with small children should also make sure they wash their hands before handling food and the adults should also set an example.
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated" Mahatma Ghandi.
(This post was edited by Gus-Gus on Oct 2, 2004, 12:16 AM)
Gus-Gus, I totally agree with you, and I do understand the health concerns, my disappointment is that, it’s not fair to band just dogs. I’m quite sure that many other animals do promoted similar diseases.
Funny thing is instead of promoting positive behavior they always look for the easiest way out. And consistency is also a big issue (thank god for that), because in the whole area this is the only park with this sign (there are a few more parks).
I think the government should put a little more budget in educating people instead of putting up a sigh like this which encourages bad behavior, because no one care anyway.
Thanks for the information about one of the reason of banning doggie into the park, it is acceptable but not fair for those responsible owner, who take care of the dog and the environment properly.
I've come to know from a Singaporean, in fact the dog owner is get fine of SG 100 if their dog poo around and they doesn't cleain it up after their dog done their business.
Perhaps by looking forward the dog owner to be more responsible, there must be some other alternative solution to run parallel to achieve the better result.
No dating (lovers), No dogs, No Planting Plants, No cycling or biking, Don’t spoil the ground (earth), No littering, No Football & Don’t spoil the property around the park.
Heheheh isn’t it almost funny? Anyway I just think there are more positive ways to do thing, but I do respect Gus gus opinion on this matter too.
Actually, Ballistic, it;s not my opinion that the dogs shouldn't be allowed in the park. I was trying to give an insight into the rationale behind the sign. I don't agree with the ban on dogs since we pay licence fees for them and therefore our dogs should have a right to use the amenities.
My opinion is that children - for whom no licence is required - should be banned from the park.
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated" Mahatma Ghandi.
This is a weird country, when a small case bring up to the media, then the government will have action, yet we do have any case to make "big" to the public, else the change will take faster ...
today, while walking my dogs at the park, a senior Chinese man called out to me in Cantonese: "Auntie (first offence!), dogs not allowed in the park. Got sign. Everyone 'hap chok'." i told him my dogs were not bothering anyone... and left the park. while i understand the sign -- the strays can't read, can they? -- i don't agree with it and i still bring my dogs to the park almost daily and pick up after them. it's a really huge park and we normally stick to the less frequented end of the park. other ppl have also brought their dogs but the strays definitely just come on their own. who tells them they can't come?
sometimes we just skirt the entire perimeter of the park and never even encounter anyone altho we sometimes cut across and exit.
so, i know according to the MPSJ rules for owning dogs (and getting licence), the park is off-limits but is this gazetted by law, huh? anyone knows?
also, the park has signs prohibiting ppl from fishing but a no. of ppl still fish there. and some have even ridden their m/bikes into the area, including the park workers. so sign more enforceable on 4-legged creatures than the superior homo sapiens?
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actually its also some of the other silly things, which ... i think is not necessary... but i guess people could justify anything and everything. 
what to do. i tot its really unfair, but hey...