Day 42 - MAQIS asked DVS to release them. DVS has not replied.

Forty-two days. Orion and Nova have now been inside the KLIA quarantine station for six weeks. The confirmed release date was 30 July. That was twenty-eight days ago.

Here is what has happened since the last dispatch.

The receipt appeared

On the homepage we noted that RM 2,000 was paid on 7 August but no official receipt or compound notice was ever issued.

A government receipt has now surfaced. It is dated 10 August 2026 - three days after payment - and it records RM 1,000, not RM 2,000. The document is headed "KERAJAAN MALAYSIA RESIT RASMI ASAL" (Government of Malaysia Official Receipt), receipt number 202630901021R300009, issued to Wander Pet Relocation Services.

The line item reads: "CAJ BAYARAN KOMPAUN DENDA DAN RAMPASAN" - compound fine and seizure payment. The case reference is MAQIS/SEL/SKKLIA.08-006/26. The issuing officer is named as Wan Siti Sarah Binti Wan Salleh, MAQIS KLIA office, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Two things stand out. First: the receipt is for half the amount paid. Whether the other RM 1,000 was receipted separately, or was never officially recorded, we do not yet know. Second: the receipt is dated the same day MAQIS reversed its position on the titre test - the day the terms changed after payment.

A second invoice

On 19 August, Wander Pet International issued a new invoice - IV-2608-021 - billing Chely Felicia Haryanti RM 1,000 (inclusive of 8% SST) for "2 Cats' extension of quarantine." This is separate from, and in addition to, the RM 2,000 compound and the daily RM 80 boarding charges that have been running since 16 July.

The costs are now layered: the original relocation fees, the RM 2,000 compound, RM 80 per day in boarding (now exceeding RM 3,360 for forty-two days), and a further RM 1,000 for the extension itself. None of these charges stem from anything the owners did wrong. Every document was in order on arrival.

MAQIS asked DVS to release them

On 22 August - day thirty-seven - the Malaysia-side handler reported the most significant development since the compound was paid:

"I had a talk with Incharge Officer - MAQIS and MAQIS HQ currently requesting for RELEASE of 2 Cats from DVS HQ without any further TEST needed."

This is the first indication that MAQIS itself considers the cats releasable without additional testing. The request was directed to the Director of DVS (Department of Veterinary Services) at headquarters level.

The handler added a fallback position: if DVS rejects the release request, a FAVN test could be run through a laboratory in China with a turnaround of three working days.

The answer is silence

That was five days ago. As of today - 27 August - DVS has not replied.

On 25 August, the handler reported: "Awaiting Officer to reply me... as they just start work today. We might need a bit time as tomorrow will be public holiday for Malaysia. Hopefully by Wednesday and we may have good feedback from them."

Wednesday came and went.

On 21 August, in a separate exchange, the MAQIS officer handling the case stated in Malay: "Belum ada.. sbb kita ada mintak pelepasan dgn dvs, tapi belum dapat maklum balas" - roughly, "Not yet... because we have requested release from DVS, but have not received a response."

So the position, as it stands: MAQIS itself has asked DVS to release the cats. DVS has not answered. The cats remain inside.

What the quarantine looks like

A security camera still from 12 August - day twenty-seven - shows the quarantine cell from above. Two cat carriers. A litter tray. Water bowls. A clipboard on the wall. This is where Orion and Nova have spent the last six weeks.

The running total

• RM 2,000 compound paid 7 August (receipt issued for RM 1,000 only)
• RM 1,000 quarantine extension invoiced 19 August
• RM 3,360+ boarding at RM 80/day for 42 days and counting
• RM 6,360+ total additional costs, on top of the original relocation fees
• 0 written decisions from DVS

Where this goes next

We are not waiting quietly. We continue to ask the same seven questions listed on the homepage. We continue to file through official channels.

But the shape of this case has changed. It is no longer about an owner asking MAQIS for release. It is about MAQIS asking DVS for release - and DVS not answering either of us.

If you are in a similar situation, or if you are a journalist covering animal welfare or regulatory accountability in Malaysia, the full file - every document, every message, every receipt - is available on request. Contact details are on the homepage.