To the strays on the street, he’s their best friend

Compiled by TAN SIN CHOW, RAGANANTHINI VETHASALAM and R. ARAVINTHAN

HE’S been feeding stray cats and dogs so regularly that the animals wait from him and even recognise the honking of his car, Harian Metro reported.

Former bank officer Khairil Azhar Khairuddin, 47, has been feeding strays daily for the past seven years in Sitiawan, Perak.

The father of seven, who is self-employed, said the RM1,500 a month for food comes from his own funds and donors.

“When I come across sick cats, I will take them to the clinic. Now I have close to 40 cats at homes,” he said.

Throughout the seven years, Khairil Azhar said he’s had people scold him for feeding the strays. Some even called him mad.“I don’t take it to heart. I try to understand why they do not like it (at certain areas) but that does not weaken my resolve,” he said.

“In fact, there are some who are generous. I received donations of food as well as cash, which I use it to buy dog and cat food,” he said.

> Singer Stacy Anam’s dream will come true soon as she prepares for a concert at the Petronas Philharmonic Hall in Kuala Lumpur, Berita Harian reported.

Known for her song Jahat, Stacy said it felt surreal when the offer came her way.

“After almost a decade in the music industry, this is the chance I have been dreaming of,” the Akademi Fantasia 6 winner said about performing in a prestigious venue.

The 32-year-old-mother of three admitted that her career had slowed down after the birth of her son last year.

Hence, she was in disbelief when she got the call for the performance.

“I did not expect that there are still people who are wiling to call me,” she said.

Stacy said she would drop her latest single exclusively at the concert.

“I can’t wait to entertain the audience that night,” she said.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.