ALOR STAR – As the heir to the Pak Mie stray animal shelter – which was deemed illegal by the Alor Star City Council (MBAS) and which has been surrounded by controversy due to its Muslim owners being willing to handle dogs – Badirol Hisham Ramli is at his wits end.
The 54-year-old cannot decide whether or not to accept the offer by the authorities, who want all the animals of the abandoned animal management centre to be moved to a new place in Jeragan here.
Badirol Hisham revealed that MBAS made the offer during a joint meeting held on February 11 – and that it was on condition that all of dogs currently at the shelter be turned over to MBAS as their new owners.
“I am still at a loss to accept or even reject this offer,” he told The Vibes. “If we refuse, we will all be evicted from this land – but if we accept, what will happen to Pak Mie Shelter’s dogs?”
Badirol Hisham added that the shelter was also given the option to manage both the existing dogs at the shelter as well as any additional stray dogs captured by MBAS, which would still retain ownership of the animals.
“At the same time, we are offering the dogs up for adoption to any party who want to help ease our burden. We are still raising funds in order to find new settlements after this.
“I have not signed the offer letter yet, as I want to go on February 18 to see the site first,” he said, adding that the agreement also stipulates that Pak Mie Shelter can only occupy the government-owned land for six months before being required to move to its own site.
On Thursday, Alor Star Mayor Datuk Zaid Ahmad in a statement confirmed that Pak Mie Shelter will be relocated to a temporary settlement on MBAS land in Jeragan.
The mayor said the matter was decided in a meeting involving MBAS, the state Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID), the state Veterinary Services Department, and Badirol Hisham.
According to Zaid, Pak Mie Shelter will also receive a gesture of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from DID’s contractor UCM Construction Sdn Bhd, which will build a hoarding board and a cement floor at the temporary site.
Last month, The Vibes reported that Pak Mie Shelter – which manages almost 400 dogs and 180 cats in Jalan Tanjung Bendahara here – was ordered to move to a new location.
This is to make way for the construction project of a regional sewage treatment plant and the Kota Setar sewerage pipeline. – The Vibes, February 13, 2021
