This homeless man and his cat stole our hearts!
A man from Kedah, Shahrul Aziz, who moved to Shah Alam last November, has been living in his car and been using money he gets from passersby to buy food for his furry friend, a stray cat that he has named Puteri.
According to Malay Mail, Puteri has been with Shahrul since he found her at a Shah Alam rest and service area last month.
“I’ve had four or five cats with me in my hometown in Kedah and I love spending time with them.
“Here in Shah Alam, I try to keep aside a portion of donation money that I receive from passersby to get cat food and sometimes, random people would feed Puteri,” he told Malay Mail.
The 53-year-old moved to Shah Alam from his hometown in Kedah to search for a better job, but unfortunately he has been rejected for two driver jobs so far.
Despite his circumstances and age, Shahrul is persistent in wanting a driver’s job as he is willing to work and put in the hours.
Photo via Twitter (@mohamadfarisss)
He also said that he used to work as a lorry driver back in Kedah but was paid based on the trips, which wasn’t enough for him, so he decided to head to Shah Alam after getting a call for an interview.
“But I was rejected for a few driver job applications when I came here and there are days where I don’t have enough to eat and would even starve for the night.
“Sometimes, I would head to food stalls and get a simple meal and would owe the stall owners later,” he added.
His story went viral on Twitter after one user, Mohamad Faris, who wanted to grab a drink at McDonalds saw him walking on the streets.
Speaking to Malay Mail, Faris said that it was his cat, Puteri, that caught his attention which made him stop his car to talk to the man.
Faris said: “I have a soft spot for cats and would sometimes bring cat food and feed strays whenever I see them. But after having a 20-minute conversation with Shahrul, I felt so sad for him and decided to buy some bread for him and one kilogramme packet of cat food.
“I wanted to share about him on Twitter because I just wanted to express how grateful I am to have a roof over my head and to be thankful for the little things,” he said.
Netizens were touched by his story and wanted to help Shahrul by donating some cash.
As of Monday (June 21st), a total of RM2,000 has been collected which he would channel straight to Shahrul.
Kota Anggerik assemblyman Mohd Najwan Halim also reached out to the 24-year-old saying that he would help the homeless man.
This is what being Malaysians is all about! What a heartwarming story, thank you for sharing, Faris!
And, guys, if you need a driver, maybe you can give Shahrul a chance!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
