ALOR STAR – “I haven’t been able to sleep since yesterday because I am too happy,” said the heir of Pak Mie Shelter, Badirol Hisham Ramli, who admitted that a visit from celebrity Muslim preacher Ebit Lew was dreamlike.
Badirol Hisham said he was very surprised when he received a call from Ebit at midnight, who said he found an old warehouse owned by a Chinese family in Jalan Tokai, Simpang Empat, Pendang, to be used as the shelter’s new site.
He said he was moved after Ebit promised to cover the RM4,300 monthly rent for the rest of his life.
“I am so happy and I’m on cloud nine when Ebit told me about it.
“I did not think there was such a special person like Ebit willing to help us manage these street animals,” he told The Vibes.
Ebit said in a Facebook post today that he found a new place to rent as a shelter for strays.
“When we reach the new place, the children of Mak Intan’s are crying. Alhamdulillah. I rent this place for RM4300 a month. The owner of this place is a good owner.”
“We will bring in the contractor and the veterinarian who have always helped us all this time. We will build sewage and water systems, isolation rooms, food stalls, fans, ventilation, and allocate space for guest playgrounds and lobbies and set up a mini zoo for visitors.”
Recapping Ebit’s visit, Badirol Hisham said, at first he was informed by his sister that Ebit wanted to visit the Pak Mie Shelter.
However, Badirol Hisham thought his sister was just joking because he never thought that the celebrity do-gooder would want to visit and help Pak Mie Shelter.
“I was very surprised to see Ebit in front of my eyes. At first he was only able to give us animal feed, but eventually he continued to help us find new settlements after knowing our problems,” he said.
Earlier, Pak Mie Shelter was ordered by Majlis Bandaraya Alor Star (MBAS) to move to a new location in Jeragan.
The existing site is to be vacated to make way for the construction of a regional sewage treatment plant and the Kota Setar sewerage pipeline.
Meanwhile, Badirol Hisham said, Pak Mie Shelter will move to the warehouse after renovations are complete, which could take up to a week.
He said Pak Mie Shelter will be spruced up, and there would also be a mini zoo to attract visitors, as desired by Ebit.
“We will polish up Pak Mie Shelter so that more people can come comfortably, and no charges will be imposed on visitors,” he said.
Badirol explained that he had also met Alor Setar Mayor, Datuk Zaid Ahmad today to inform him of the cancellation of the transfer of Pak Mie Shelter to a piece of land provided by MBAS in Jeragan.
He said Zaid expressed his happiness with the news, and reminded him to always adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“I thank the mayor, the state government, and all parties, including the media who have been willing to help us all this time. Only God can reward your good deeds,” he said. – The Vibes, February 18, 2021
