Whi Is Mak Intan

In 1991 - they opened their shelter and started rescuing homeless and sick animals in Alor Setar.
Pak Mie died last March aged 58 following a stroke. But Mak Intan continues to care for their 700 dogs, 200 cats, four monkeys and two foxes at their Tanjung Bendahara shelter.

Mak Intan had since hired two workers to assist her with the running of the shelter. Thanks to her seven-year experience as a medical assistant during her service in the military, Mak Intan has been able to reduce medical expenses by nursing her furry kids back to health when they fall ill.

Every month, Mak Intan requires a hefty amount to sustain the shelter, mainly to cover the cost of food for the animals. The dogs alone need six to seven 20kg-packs of dog food daily. One pack of dog food is about RM150. There are days when she has to scour leftovers at nearby hawker centres to feed the animals.

Their meals come first. Even when I am tight on budget, I have to make sure my babies have something to eat. After their meals are sorted, the next thing to worry about is their medicine and my workers’ salaries.

The mother of three said she is also glad that her children, army major Badrul Hisham, 45, Rosita, 40, and sales assistant Roslinda, 39, supports what she does. Mak Intan said she was lucky to have met some generous people who frequently donate money or food to the shelter, including Dr Jezamine Lim, the wife of local comedian Harith Iskander and Datuk Khalid Muhammad Jiwa, husband of songstress Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin.

Even though she still receives negative remarks from the local community who consider caring for dogs as taboo, she chose to keep her head up as she is continuing her late husband’s legacy. Of course, it saddens me when people refuse to shake my hand at gatherings, or refuse to sit next to me because they claim I reek of dogs. But, at the end of the day when I go back to my furry kids, I am happy. I will continue taking care of these animals for as long I can.

Mak Intan’s noble work was recently recognised by the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya when she was named one of the recipients for the “Dignifying A Profession Award”.

“This award is for Pak Mie, not for me. Unfortunately, Pak Mie is no longer with us today, but I want to thank everyone for their continuous support,” she said, teary-eyed, at the award presentation ceremony in Subang Jaya on Tuesday.