Tengku Permaisuri Selangor officiates Klang's Cat Park in Bandar Bukit Raja

TENGKU Permaisuri Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, on Sunday (Aug 18) officiated Klang’s Cat Park at the Pavillion Wetland in Bandar Bukit Raja about 8.5Km from Klang Royal City Council’s (MBDK) headquarters.

Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin flagged off the Cat Fun Walk at the Wetland Pavillion before she walked an estimated 230m to the cat park meant for stray cats where she cut the ribbons at the entrance and walked in to sign a plaque.

Accompanied by MBDK’s mayor Datin Paduka Noraini Roslan, Klang’s Selangor Palace representative Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi, Sime Darby Property Berhad Township Development chief

operating officer Appollo Leong Yong Kuan and a host of government department heads, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin toured the cat park to view the facilities.

Dressed in a light peach-coloured long-sleeve t-shirt and white trousers, the elegant Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin’s face lit up on seeing several adorable stray cats in an enclosure at the 0.4ha park built within the Wetland Pavillion.

Many morning joggers at the park and those who were doing group exercises stopped to wave.

She was thrilled to see that many had brought their felines for the Best Dressed Cat Competition.

After visiting the cat park, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin visited several booths that showcase cat food and other related items for felines.

Media photographers went into paparazzi mode as shutters clicked away as the demure-looking Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin while walking around the booths stopped to speak to owners of cats and even gave a soft gentle stroke to some felines.

After the event, Noraini said the council had initially wanted to build the cat park but Sime Darby Property had offered to construct the cat park with all its facilities as one of the components at its Wetland Pavillion.

Appollo Leong told the media that Sime Darby had built the RM800,000 cat park with various facilities to provide shelter to stray cats around the district to ensure the animals are protected and given care.

Noraini said currently the council has taken in 38 stray cats and will have a veterinarian from the Klang Veterinary Department to neuter and vaccinate the felines.

“We will also conduct an adoption programme to encourage people to embrace the joy of keeping a cat. But, the adoption drive would start in three months once the cats are neutered and vaccinated.

We want to ensure the cats are healthy before being given for adoption”.

“Our cat park serves as a transit for stray cats as we want people who are interested to adopt the cats,” she said.

Noraini added that the park can house 150 cats at any one time but the council plans to limit it to 50 cats in the initial initiative.

“The cat park provides a safe haven for cats to explore, exercise and soak up the sunshine, all within an area cordoned off with a high fence,” she said.

The cat park has been put under the purview of MBDK’s health department.

“MBDK would require an estimated RM50,000 annually for the city council to operate the park, involving maintenance and upkeep,” she added.