Malay dog lover: “Muslims who complain pleasant dogs to local authorities are horrible people”

 

CANINES – whether pets or strays – can be a highly divisive issue in the local context. For many Malay-Muslims, there is a perception of dogs – apart from being unclean – as ferocious hounds of hell ready to rip into their flesh.

Though on the minority, there are Muslims who take the opposite view by treating these creatures as God’s creations, hence deserving of humans’ love and compassion.

This divergence in perspectives can be seen in a Facebook post by Ruzi Dzul who quite hilariously (and ingeniously) penned a ballad about a dog called Chin Chai.

The lyrics which were to be sung to the tune of Rod Stewart’s I Don’t Want To Talk About It warned Chin Chai of Malay folks who simply hated dogs and who would complain to the municipal authorities.

Even though Chin Chai was minding its own business and was fast asleep, it was taken away in the dead of the night by eight men.

The lyrics goes on to recount that a hefty compound of RM1,300 was required to secure Chin Chao’s release. Little wonder then that pet owners were willing to let their furry friends be put to sleep rather than pay the extortionate fine.

Carrying a message of hope, the ballad hoped that Chin Chai was still breathing – and if so – urged the canine to run and never to look back because there were plenty of devils chasing it down.

The Ballad of Chin Chai has generated 2.8K likes, 745 comments and 207 shares at time of writing, indicating the heartfelt lyrics resonated with many animal lovers.

One commenter conceded that it was understandable if the dog was a nuisance that was endangering others or was disturbing the peace with its barking. However, he had nothing but contempt for those who made an issue with an animal that disturbed no one.

Another commenter also had nothing good to say about Malay youth who came on motorcycles to kick at the stray dogs near his home. “Hateful behaviour” was the damning verdict.

Interestingly, there were many Muslim commenters who showed great compassion in hoping that no harm came to Chin Chai (whether fictional or not).

However, as mentioned, there are those who took the opposite view. Perhaps, the lyrics cut a bit too close to home for this commenter who accused the poster of being a bleeding-heart liberal who should take Chin Chai into her own home.

A near accident involving his son and the mauling of kittens were reasons proffered for this commenter’s view on stray dogs.

Another dark-hearted commenter sarcastically opined that it was great that the government was allowing more foreign workers from Vietnam to work here. He insinuated that their diet helps keep stray dog population at bay.

As can be seen, it remains a highly contentious issue. But the comments attached to the Ballad of Chin Chai post – by and large – preach compassion and understanding.

It is hoped better education will lead to more realization that “dogs are men’s best friend”. –  Focus Malaysia