ALOR STAR – The inheritor of Pak Mie Shelter has been left disappointed as a proposal to relocate the animals to a warehouse that will be sponsored by celebrity religious figure Ebit Lew is being opposed by the villagers in the area.
Badirol Hisham Ramli, 54, said he felt sad when the residents of Kg Kubang Jelai in Tokai, Kedah, refused to even hold discussions and hear his explanation on the matter.
“I am disappointed. They should have heard our explanation first and sat down to discuss so that this matter can be resolved amicably, but apparently they chose another way.
“I have also been contacted by a representative of Ebit who informed me that they will help find a new location to replace the warehouse,” he told The Vibes.
Badirol said he now has to wait for further action from Ebit and hopes the relocation issue can be resolved before February 28 when the shelter must move from its current premise in Alor Star.
“February 28 is my last day here, and I need to move as soon as possible because of the transfer notice issued by the Alor Star City Council (MBAS),” he said.
Yesterday, the residents of Kg Kubang Jelai submitted a memorandum to Kedah Executive Councillor for Health and Local Government Datuk Mohd Hayati Othman, to protest against the move to bring the shelter to the private warehouse in the village.
Village chief Md Daud Rusdi Hassan said about 700 residents there do not want the cats and especially the dogs to be moved to their area because they can cause noise with their barking and bring odour pollution.
Daud was also reported to have said that the majority of the residents are Muslims and are worried that the animal droppings will be drained into a nearby river as it is a source of water for almost 100ha of paddy fields in the area.
Meanwhile, Badirol explained that the location of the warehouse is not close to the residents. He added that he will also build his own septic tank and drainage channel to prevent any contamination by animal faeces.
“During the warehouse selection, Ebit was also involved and he even visited the area. It is impossible that Ebit made a mistake because he has evaluated the selection from various angles,” he said.
Last Thursday, Ebit announced through his Facebook that he will sponsor Pak Mie Shelter's new settlement at a warehouse in Tokai, with a rental expenditure of RM4,300 per month.
Earlier, Pak Mie Shelter was ordered by MBAS to move to a new location in Jeragan, to make way for the construction of a regional sewage treatment plant and the Kota Setar sewerage pipeline – The Vibes, February 21, 2021
