Faces of joy at Rumah Nur Salam, Chow Kit

While I am aware that most Malaysians associate the Chow Kit area in Kuala Lumpur with vice, drug users and illegal activities, I look back on my days of carrying out legal aid outreach work there with much fondness. And when I began receiving shoeboxes in excess of the number I requested for the Shoebox Project, Rumah Nur Salam (formerly Pusat Aktiviti Kanak-Kanak [Children's Activity Centre] Chow Kit) was somewhere on the top of my list of recipients for our shoebox gifts.

Rumah Nur Salam is a 'safe house' for at-risk children from different backgrounds. Rumah Nur Salam also operates a 24-hour activity centre aimed at improving the quality of life of the children of Chow Kit, almost all of whom are from lower income families and who live in environments that expose them to greater risk of harm. Most of the children come from single-parent families, while some are the children of members of marginalised communities, or may have been trafficked or exposed to harm before. Some do not have the requisite legal documents proving themselves to be citizens or enabling them to attend school.

I contacted the affable and friendly Volunteer Management Coordinator of Rumah Nur Salam, Ahmad Fansuri, and explained with unnecessary defensiveness that we (i.e. the volunteers) are not a Christian group, but a multi-faith group mostly made up of members of the Malaysian Nature Society.

In true Malaysian spirit, Ahmad responded that they welcome everyone of all faiths, and that it would be good for the children to celebrate all festivals and learn of different faiths and cultures. And so I spent the rest of the week sorting, filling, packing and labelling shoebox gifts, and invited my friends Sheela, Ili Fatimah, Shet Mei and Lysha to spend Christmas Day at Rumah Nur Salam with me.



Snack time before the games begin! My friends and I marvelled at how well-behaved and polite the children are, even those who are boisterous or talkative. Some of the younger ones 'salam'-ed us before accepting the treats that we handed out for breakfast. A few children offered their snacks to us and to the caretakers before settling down to enjoy the goodies. Credit must go to the caretakers and the highly engaging Children's Coordinator, Hasrul, for teaching the children so well.



Shet Mei, who loves children, was delighted when the little ones asked to be photographed with her. The children of Chow Kit, although at greater risk of harm, have an advantage over children of more sheltered environments, in that they are more open-minded, accepting and streetwise. How many 5-year-olds would be able to define 'condom' correctly and without squeamishness? The children of Chow Kit may frequently be little old souls, but are just as in need of protection and care as any other children.



Ili Fatimah was first recruited as a volunteer for the Malaysian Nature Society Eco Kids Junior Day Camp on December 5. She provided such valuable help that I asked if she could come and help out again for this event. I wish all undergraduates were as reliable as her! The ones I tend to meet at the SPCA are so helpless that I sometimes wonder if they have been bottle-fed and swaddled in cotton wool until the age of 21.



A noisy and rambunctious round of Musical Chairs helps the children forget the squalor of life outside Rumah Nur Salam! The Children's Coordinator plans enriching activities for the children daily, while certified tutors and teachers assist the children in their studies in classrooms set apart from the rumpus room in which we had our little party.



Rumah Nur Salam lives up to the motto on its nursery walls: "Because Every Child Matters". With therapy, lessons, love and patience, most of the troubled children are now well-adjusted, productive and healthy young persons.

My friends and I were especially impressed by the fact that quite a large number of the children have since been accepted into residential boarding schools (Note to friends who are not from Malaysia: Places in residential boarding schools are reserved for high achievers).




Time to get down and boogie! No party is complete without music, and the children love to dance. Many of them have really slick moves. The art classes conducted at Rumah Nur Salam also include dance classes as an exercise in self-expression. We noticed that the teenagers were especially kind and helpful to the younger ones, so this is a strong indication that they have learned well from the good example set by the caretakers and coordinators.



A young winner comes forward to receive his prize after a particularly arduous round of "Musical Statues".





Time to hand out the gifts! The children were disciplined and polite and waited until everyone has received their gifts before opening their gifts together. Half an hour after the gifts had been opened, the floor was spotless and every scrap of litter had been swept up and disposed of by the teens.



This little boy could hardly contain his excitement at receiving his gift!



A little girl minds her friend's box while they wait to open their gifts together.



The children admired the contents of each other's boxes and shared their sweets without bickering, not because they are born angels, but because the Children's Coordinator had taught them well. Children living in welfare homes or attending community centres should not only be fed and clothed, but be taught manners, consideration, gratitude and concern for the environment. It sure looks like Rumah Nur Salam has done a good job with these youngsters!



Too cool for school! The children performed a “Thank You” song for us which had us rolling in mirth! “Xie xie ni! Nandri! Domo Arigato, Hai!”, they sang with gusto, followed by a Japanese-style bow!

My friends and I would like to thank the children of Rumah Nur Salam too, for the friendliness and appreciation they expressed so easily, which made us feel welcomed and loved. And our especial thanks go out to the Children’s Coordinator, Hasrul, for his dedication to improving the quality of life of the children, motivating them into becoming better persons and enriching their minds and souls with improving activities. We would love to come back again to conduct another activity during the next school holidays.

“Nur” in Arabic means ‘light’, while “Salam” means ‘peace’. Rumah Nur Salam is therefore an appropriate name for this sanctuary that has lighted the way to a better future for the children of Chow Kit, and provided a peaceful refuge for the children against the chaos of the outside world.

For more information, please contact:
Address: Rumah Nur Salam, No 24B, Jalan Chowkit, 50350 Kuala Lumpur
Facebook: Rumah Nur Salam, Chow Kit
E-Mail: fansuri@chowkids.org

Generous KL-ites bring cheer to needy families

If I had to describe life in Kuala Lumpur in just one word, I would choose 'abundant'.

"You've got to be kidding," I hear other city-dwellers huff dismissively, as they rant about the rising costs of fuel, highway use, consumer goods and property. I prefer to notice, instead, the portions of food left uneaten at restaurants and stalls, the long queues at department stores and hypermarket counters and the line of eager moviegoers at cinemas.

We are blessed with so much that we sometimes don't make a conscious effort to remember how fortunate we are. Just as a fish would not have a word in its vocabulary for water, most urban professionals in Kuala Lumpur are accustomed to having so much that they forget that they actually lack nothing.

Kuala Lumpur is lucky, too, to be home to a vast number of thoughtful and generous individuals and groups. Numerous charitable bodies operate in the City to alleviate the suffering of those who are less fortunate. Children living in welfare homes and orphanages are so well-provided for that they get dozens of gifts each festive season. When my ex-manager called me up recently to request my assistance in identifying needy children's charities in KL, I had a hard time identifying even one that was truly in want.

There are, however, pockets of impoverished communities living amongst us in KL. Many are so poor that their children drop out of school at a young age. Others are victims of domestic violence, disease or illness.

This is where individuals like my friend Bernie comes in. Bernie has spent years identifying, checking on and assisting hardcore poor families in Setapak, Sentul Dalam, Wangsa Maju and Sri Rampai, near her home in Setapak.



Bernie's outreach work has the noble objective of helping the poor, especially single mothers, be self-sufficient, and of providing education assistance and opportunities to needy schoolchildren.



Sumathi has 6 children, an abusive husband and no means of financial independence. Bernie and her volunteers bought Sumathi a blender and taught her cooking and business skills. As a result, Sumathi is now able to sell nasi lemak, even if only in small quantities, and that has helped her feed and clothe her children.



Kanniamah is a widow with 2 young daughters and strives to be independent by selling thosai outside her house. They rent a room in Setapak and make hardly enough to pay the rent and bills.



Inthra Devi, her husband, 3 sons and a daughter live in this shack that they built themselves in Wangsa Maju. Her husband does odd jobs, as does her 13-year-old son during the school holidays.

For the past 3 years, I have been assisting Bernie in coordinating the collection, purchase and distribution of school supplies and other aid to the needy families. I am frequently overwhelmed by the magnanimity of Malaysians and their trust in us. I have been informed that many Malaysians want to be able to help, but they just need to know that their contributions are being given to the intended beneficiaries directly without the interference of middlemen and organisations with their retinue of staff.

On 20th December, my group of friends and I, led by the inimitable Bernie, visited a number of homes to deliver food items, school supplies, provisions and shoeboxes filled with goodies.



The volunteers getting ready to haul the goodies up 13 flight of stairs to bring cheer to a single mother with serious health issues and her schoolgoing children.



The children were a little awkward and shy during the photo session, but their mother cried and hugged us for the school supplies and provisions we brought to help them through the leaner months.



These siblings lost their father recently and were very glad of the assistance we provided for school. The low-cost flat unit in which they reside is made comfortable thanks to well-wishers who donated secondhand furniture and electrical appliances.



Volunteers Zawalan, Sasha, Shankar and Agi unload the goods from Zawalan's pickup under Bernie's supervision.



Tharuvin and Ravi Kumar tried to look macho for this shot, but broke into wide grins as soon as I finished taking their photo. What young man wouldn't be pleased with such a splendid-looking new bicycle? When our friends heard how the 3 brothers had only one old bicycle between them, and how they had to take turns running and riding the bike to school, they decided to pitch in and get the boys a new bicycle so they could get to school on time.



The new clothes are a little too big for Tharshini, but she will grow into them! Her mother expressed thanks for the provisions we brought, especially the baby formula.


Why do we do what we do? I believe it is because we have embodied the essence of 1Malaysia long before the Prime Minister gave it a name. To volunteers and donors like Bernie and the rest of our friends, 1Malaysia isn't about dressing children up in traditional costumes for a National Day photo opportunity. 1Malaysia isn't about the self-conscious attempt to 'tolerate' and 'understand' people of different faiths and cultures.

To us, 1Malaysia means looking out for each other and offering assistance to all communities, with no strings attached, in order that the nation becomes strong. It means extending our circle of compassion to others regardless of religion, ethnicity, political persuasion, gender and background.

To donors, 1Malaysia means recognising that distributive injustice and inequality exists everywhere in the world. It means embracing our roles as agents of social change by making the gap between the entitled and those who lack opportunity a little smaller. It means understanding that poverty does exist, often due to circumstances such as illness and bereavement of a spouse, and that no one is to blame for it, but that we have a shared duty to assist those who are more in need than we are.

To volunteers, 1Malaysia means realising that a single act of compassion is worth far more than ten volumes of vitriolic criticisms and complaints, and more than the mere paying of lip service to the ideals of harmony and unity. It means acting on the aforementioned realisation and on our shared values of justice, kindness and service to mankind and the living world. It means becoming the difference we want to see.

1Malaysia to us isn't found in songs and PR campaigns, but in the sincerity with which we demonstrate care and concern for the well-being of others, and our ability to empathise with others and their predicament. 1Malaysia isn't to be found in local delicacies, or only during the festive season, but in our daily lives when we share our meals, work together towards common goals, turn to each other for advice and support, spend the night in each other's homes when a volunteer project stretches late into the night, address each other as "brother" or "sister", or have the spare keys to each other's homes in order to attend to pets and potted plants.

For we are so much more than just caricatures of our ethnicities, with traditional costumes and idiosyncratic accents to identify us as being of a particular racial heritage. We are so much more, so much better and so much more resilient than the definitions and limitations that the politicians have encumbered us with.

I know my great-grandparents came to Malaysia from China a hundred years ago for a reason. They saw this country as a land of opportunity for those willing to work hard. They saw this country as a safe place to start a family and raise their young.

I share their vision and I will be part of the mechanism to make it come true. I know that my fellow Malaysians and I will work together to bring inclusiveness, progress, justice and economic, political and environmental stability to this country.

And I know I am not alone in striving towards this goal.


Link to this post: Letter to the Editor: Capping of Additional School Fees A Welcome Proposal.

The Shoebox Project, KL Chapter

A fellow blogger, Mum-In-Malaysia, had defined 'honesty' as the best trait of KL folk in her blogpost entitled "A City Named Honest" . In my response to her post, I had averred that I found generosity to be the best trait of KL-ites.

Nowhere is this generosity more apparent than during the festive season, when senior citizens, underprivileged children and the disabled receive countless gifts and invitations to dinners and parties. Fundraisers held in Kuala Lumpur typically raise far more money than the projected targets. Each time a major newspaper highlights the plight of an underprivileged individual requiring medical treatment, donations start pouring in within the same day. Charity boxes and donation bins in Kuala Lumpur fill up almost as soon as they are fixed in place.



Generous city folk never let the VenusBuzz Community Chest at Bangsar Village go empty. It is almost always full of food and provisions for various charities.

I frequently feel overwhelmed by the love, support and generosity of KL-ites whenever I coordinate any community service project. The same is true of this past month, when I coordinated the Shoebox Project.

The Shoebox Project was initiated by my colleagues who solicited shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies and treats for refugee children living in Kuala Lumpur. We had 172 beneficiaries on our list, and I decided to get a few friends from my mailing list involved. The response was so immense that I was soon swamped with close to 300 shoeboxes, filled with goodies for underprivileged children, that I had to extend The Shoebox Project to include the following groups of children:
1. Urban disadvantaged schoolchildren living in Setapak, Sentul Dalam and Wangsa Maju;
2. The children of Rumah Nur Salam, Chow Kit; and
3. The orang asli children of Ulu Geroh.



Pretty shoeboxes in festive colours created by my friend Patricia, who got her entire family involved.



Volunteers of different faiths get together to pack and decorate shoeboxes at their office.



The contents of one of my shoeboxes, prior to packing. I simply had to include the toothbrush and toothpaste, seeing as that I was giving the children sugary treats!



Some of the donors invested a lot of time and care into decorating their boxes. I had recommended that the donors do not wrap their boxes with wrapping paper, as it is wasteful, but to cover and decorate the boxes in such a way as to allow the recipients to open and close the boxes with ease, and reuse the boxes as storage boxes.



My dear friends Khairul Anuar and his lovely wife Shireen obviously put a lot of thought and care into their shoeboxes, which had a combination of practical, useful, fun and beautiful things. I can imagine the look of delight on the faces of the schoolchildren who will be receiving these beauties!

On December 20, a number of volunteers got together to deliver school supplies, food aid and shoebox gifts to needy families. I trust the children could feel the love and care that went into each box.



Shoebox Elves at work! My friend Sheela and my mother are all set to deliver the shoebox gifts to children who rarely have anything new to call their own.



My friend Shet Mei brought cheer to a single mother and her young children with these goodie-filled boxes.



Sumathi, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, expressed her gratitude for the school supplies, food and provisions we brought, while her children were simply thrilled with the unexpected gifts. The younger children were speechless with excitement and could only grin at us.



When you are struggling to put food on the table, even items like Milo packets, raisins, fancy school supplies, colour pencils and toys become luxury goods. This little boy was so pleased with his box that he kept opening and shutting it to sneak peeks at the contents, but took nothing out!

To the 200-odd generous KL-ites who contributed their resources, time and energy into creating, filling and delivering these boxes, we thank you! You've made the world a little more beautiful with the cheer you brought!

International Volunteer Day: Celebrating volunteerism in Kuala Lumpur

Of all the United Nations observance days, my favourite has got to be International Volunteer Day, which is celebrated on 5th December annually. International Volunteer Day is a day to honour and celebrate volunteers and to enable and empower volunteers to share their experience and resources, and to motivate others to commit time and energy to volunteering.

Why volunteer? As a volunteer with several organisations, I am frequently called upon to speak to youths and new volunteers. Faith groups, youth groups and special interest groups have their own reasons for promoting and advocating volunteer work, but what would impel individuals to invest their time, energy and resources in public interest work that would bring them very few, if any, tangible returns? My arguments in support of volunteering are as follows:
1. Volunteers perform a valuable community service that has economic worth. I have always believed that if governments and public bodies had to pay wages for the service that is rendered by volunteers, the economy could very possibly collapse overnight.
2. Volunteering exposes volunteers to a wide range of experiences, people and situations that they would not usually encounter in their daily work. These experiences help us develop our capacity to cope with crises, difficult and frustrating situations, and learn how to manage time, people and (often very limited) resources to the best of our ability. It also helps develop perseverance, commitment and resilience, qualities that would stand one in good stead in life.
3. Volunteering empowers you to be the difference you want to see.

Malaysians are blessed with mind-blowing generosity and compassion, and a large number do volunteer for various causes. In commemorating and celebrating International Volunteer Day 2009, I have decided to feature some of my favourite organizations and opportunities for volunteering with them.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor

Address:
Jalan Kerja Air Lama, 68000 Ampang, Selangor.
Tel:
Animal Shelter & Admin Dept: 03-4256 5312/ 4253 5179 (8.30am - 4pm Daily)
Public Relations Dept & Inspectorate: 03-4253 5312 (10am – 6.30pm Daily)
Fax: 03-4252 8382
Email:
enquiries@spca.org.my
Website:
SPCA Selangor

I started volunteering with the SPCA in 1996. My responsibilities then include bathing and grooming animals, preparing food, cleaning kennels, washing food and water bowls, assisting in fundraising and outreach activities, illustrating posters, drafting articles and letters, administering medication and attending to visitors and adopters.

As a senior volunteer today, I still perform the duties described above, but my responsibilities have increased to include drafting and reviewing documents and correspondence, assisting the Inspectorate, organising events and fundraisers, training new volunteers and engaging in policy and advocacy work.



Here I am shampooing and tickwashing dogs in a candid photo taken in 2007/2008.



Feel the love! This friendly little dog gave me a lick as I was cleaning kennels sometime in 2008.

What you can do:
If you have experience with animals, the SPCA always needs volunteers who are able to foster young animals at home until they are strong enough to be re-homed. We also need sensible volunteers for the following animal care duties: bathing and grooming animals, administering tickwash, cleaning the shelter, preparing food, washing food and water bowls and handling animals. Non-animal care related duties would include manning the outreach booth, assisting in fundraisers such as the quarterly Jumble Sale in the shelter premises, cleaning and painting the shelter, website and merchandise design and office work (filing and organizing documents, answering phone calls, attending to visitors and customers, helping out in the Charity Shop).

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)

Address:
MNS Selangor Branch,
JKR 641, Jalan Kelantan,
Bukit Persekutuan,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel:
603-2287 9422/ 2287 3304/ 2287 3306.
Fax:
603-2287 8773
Website:
Malaysian Nature Society

The Malaysian Nature Society’s objectives and areas of work include environmental conservation, environmental and nature education and establishing and managing nature parks. In 2008, MNS was accorded the Merdeka Award for the ‘education and community’ category, a deserved honour indeed for the nation’s oldest volunteer-based environmental organization.

I joined the Malaysian Nature Society in 2000/2001 and commenced volunteering on the day I signed up. In 2006, I accepted the challenge of establishing and coordinating a new Special Interest Group called Green Living. I was coordinator from 2006 to 2009, and at the same time, started a family-based programme called Eco Kids, which has its own monthly column in the newsletter and periodic nature camps and outings. Today, I am a committee member for the Selangor Branch and my duties include policy, advocacy, education and outreach work.



Public speaking skills are essential as an MNS volunteer. Here I am explaining waste management practices to members of the public at FRIM.



In 2008, I was accorded the MNS Branch Award for the service I rendered as a coolie major slave volunteer.

What you can do:
The MNS volunteer base is made up almost entirely of registered members. Membership is necessary for reasons of policy and legal indemnity/waiver. Volunteers are required to, inter alia, manage activity and outreach booths, talk to students and the public about the environment, conduct outings, expeditions, seminars and talks, coordinate cleanup campaigns, coordinate and assist in community events, draft articles and reports, and initiate or assist in data collection and research work. However, members of the public, including school and college students and corporate volunteers, also participate in large-scale community events such as our annual Raptor Watch Week and biannual Open Day.

Bar Council Legal Aid Centre Kuala Lumpur

Address:
Bar Council Legal Aid Centre Kuala Lumpur
Tingkat 6, Wisma Kraftangan,
No. 9, Jalan Tun Perak,
50050 Kuala Lumpur
Tel:
03-26913005 / 26932072
Fax:
03-26930527
E-mail:
lacklb@po.jaring.my

The Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (BCLAC) was founded by the Malaysian Bar Council with the ideal of affording citizens equal opportunity for the enforcement of their fundamental right to equality before the law. It is funded by the sole contribution of members of the Bar and cases are taken on a voluntary basis by dedicated lawyers.

I had volunteered with the BCLAC both in the advocacy and policy programme in cooperation with PT Foundation Malaysia and as a volunteer counsel in industrial relations matters.

What you can do:
Although only Advocates and Solicitors of the High Court of Malaya are allowed to take up BCLAC files, undergraduates and law students and lawyers who are no longer in practice also have the opportunity to assist in research, file management and clerical work.

Waterfall Survivors
Facebook Page: Save Our Waterfalls

Waterfall Survivors is a Facebook group founded by a dynamic young lady named Joe Yap to explore wild, scenic waterfalls in Malaysia and to clean them up. The group has over 4,000 members, many of whom have participated in the waterfall cleanups. The last cleanup I was involved in was on 25th October 2009 at the Kanching Recreational Forest.



Kanching Recreational Forest, 25th October 2009. "350" stands for 350 parts of CO2 per million, which is the target environmental groups have set for the international community.

What you can do:
Join the Facebook Group and keep yourself updated on their latest campaigns. Assist in their cleanup campaigns and bring your friends and family along. Be a sensible volunteer: Bring your own latex/gardening gloves, drinking water, sunblock and mosquito repellent, and be aware of and prepared for the risk of injuries, insect/animal bites, heatstroke and accidents.


Eco Warriors
Facebook Page: Eco Warriors

Eco Warriors is a Klang Valley-based citizens’ action group set up by Matthias Gelber, the ‘Greenest Man on the Planet’. Part of the appeal of the Eco Warriors Facebook Group lies in the fact that it is non-hierarchical and does not require registration or a membership fee. Among the activities conducted by the Group are tree-planting, farm work (they spend most weekends at Bandar Harapan, an organic farm dedicated to helping the underprivileged be self-sufficient), trail/river/park/jungle cleanups, community workshops (on recycling, composting, et cetera) and participating in community events such as Wild Asia’s Tree Party.

What you can do:
Sign up to be a member of the Facebook Group and assist in cleanup projects, tree-planting campaigns, farm work and community activities.

Food Not Bombs Kuala Lumpur

Website/Weblog: Food Not Bombs
Facebook Page: FNB KL

(I have written about Food Not Bombs KL in an earlier post.)

What you can do:
Food Not Bombs welcomes the assistance of volunteers who can contribute and prepare vegetarian food (sandwiches, biscuits, fruit, rice, noodles etc.), transport it to the area where food will be served, serve the clients and tidy up after all food has been consumed.

Independent Pet Rescuers

Website/Weblog: Rescue 2 Rehome

The Independent Pet Rescuers was founded by Sherrina Krishnan, a KL-based social and animal rights activist who is a strong proponent of the no-kill policy. The Independent Pet Rescuers practice TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) of stray animals that they are unable to re-home, but place emphasis on fostering, vaccinating, neutering and rehabilitating animals in order that all animals have a chance of being adopted. In the few years that they have been in operation, the Independent Pet Rescuers have managed to re-home hundreds of animals in need.

What you can do:
The Independent Pet Rescuers need fosterers who can assist in feeding, cleaning and rehabilitating cats and dogs. Volunteer fosterers must be prepared to bring pets to qualified veterinarians for treatment and provide post-treatment/post-surgery care. Animals must be fostered until they are strong and healthy enough to be safely put up for adoption.

What will YOU be doing this International Volunteer Day? Please leave me a comment to let me know either what you will be doing on December 5 to honour and observe International Volunteer Day, or what you pledge to support, assist or get involved in commencing International Volunteer Day, and you might just receive a set of limited edition, commercially-unavailable Green Living bookmarks as featured below!



Blog Swag: Leave me a comment and these gorgeous Green Living bookmarks may just find their way to you!

Be A Volunteer: Because sharing is a privilege and a pleasure!

Pet Neutering Services at the SPCA-DBKL Klinik Kembiri

“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince


My friend Azura managed to get her two rescued stray cats, Obie and Mummy Cat, neutered recently at the SPCA-DBKL Klinik Kembiri, thanks to the generosity of SPCA Selangor, which gave away 50 vouchers for the spaying/neutering of mixed breed and rescued companion animals during its World Animal Day celebrations in October. I was fortunate enough to obtain a voucher for Azura to facilitate the neutering of her two juvenile felines.

Azura followed up with a blogpost of such insight and warm humour on the issue of neutering and care of companion animals, from the perspective of a conscientious Muslim, that I cannot resist but link to it here. Azura had even taken the trouble to find the specific fatwa by JAKIM on the advantages and permissibility of neutering.



SPCA officers, veterinarians and staff standing in front of the SPCA-DBKL Klinik Kembiri in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.
2nd from left: Dr. Goh, 3rd from left: Dr. Suhanna, 4th from left: clinic assistant Murugan, 5th from left: Consultant Glyn Roberts, 6th from left: PR Officer Nicole Tai.
Photo courtesy of PR & Marketing Officer, Jacinta Johnson

The SPCA-DBKL Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic was set up to provide subsidised spay and neuter services for companion animals belonging to people from the lower income category, animal rescuers and people caring for stray animals in their community. The Klinik Kembiri vets are heroes in their own right, being dedicated individuals who chose the path of community service and animal welfare over that of a lucrative career in private veterinary practice!



Dr. Suhanna performing surgery on a cat at the Klinik Kembiri.

The benefits of neutering are countless, as any caregiver for a neutered companion animal would attest. Besides the obvious benefits to the animal’s health and behaviour, neutering companion animals is good for the environment as it controls stray animal population and reduces incidences of fecal pollution and scavenging by stray animals.



Many of you would no doubt remember the high-profile incident in which over 300 dogs were abandoned on an uninhabited island by the villagers of Pulau Ketam.



There was also a case in February 2009 in which the SPCA Inspectorate had to enter an apartment unit to rescue 53 cats that had been abandoned by their irresponsible caregiver. Cases such as these are by no means isolated. The SPCA receives over 700 unwanted, abandoned and/or abused animals every month. I have no doubt that other animal welfare groups receive, rescue and help many animals in need as well.

Such cases would have been prevented if the animal care providers had behaved responsibly and had practiced early spaying/neutering.

The SPCA website offers professional pre-surgery and post-surgery advice, so do drop by for a visit to allay any misgivings you may have about the procedure!



For more information, please visit the SPCA website.

To fix an appointment, please contact:

DBKL-SPCA Klinik Kembiri
Pusat Kurungan Haiwan
Jabatan Kesihatan DBKL
Jalan Air Jerneh
Air Panas, Setapak
53200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel:
03-40243446 (Office)
012-2581041 (Manager – Mr G.R. Krishnan)

E-mail:
klinikkembiri@spca.org.my