IIUM’s Abu Hurairah Club is changing lives by rescuing cats

Free Malaysia Today

The Abu Hurairah Club, a student-led NGO at the International Islamic University Malaysia’s (IIUM) Gombak campus, has rescued over 500 cats and is working towards shaping national policies.   Story by: Dinesh Kumar Maganathan  Shot by: Afizi Ismail  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Andrea Edmonds   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/02/23/iiums-abu-hurairah-club-is-changing-lives-by-rescuing-cats/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #IIUM #AbuHurairahClub #CatShelter

Transcript

00:00The Abu Huraira Club at the International Islamic University Malaysia in Gomba is more

00:15than just an animal rescue group, it's a movement built on compassion and responsibility.

00:22Since its official launch in 2019, the student-led NGO has dedicated itself to caring for stray

00:28animals on campus, providing food, medical treatment and shelter for hundreds of cats.

00:35With nearly 50 feeding stations and a structured rescue program, the club has become a beacon

00:41of hope for animals in need.

00:44All the universities have issues with cats on campus, or dogs, most of them.

00:49So one of the ways, what they're doing now is just taking them out and relocating them

00:55outside, send them to markets, they think that they're going to survive, but no, basically

00:59when they're sent to the market, they will die.

01:01So one of the main reasons for having a shelter is to create responsibility, community, as

01:08a community we have to work together not to send them out, but work together and take

01:12care of them as a community, to create compassion in our students.

01:17Named after one of Prophet Muhammad's companions known for his love of cats, the Abu Huraira

01:23Club teaches responsible pet ownership and promotes the humane treatment of animals through

01:28workshops, awareness campaigns and partnerships with veterinary professionals.

01:34Across all the religions, we have to take care of the animals, they are our obligation.

01:38And we also instill that values, the values in the students, if you don't like them, you

01:42don't abuse them.

01:44Long before they were an official club, students worked in secret, rescuing animals despite

01:50the administration prohibiting such work.

01:53Everything changed when Zarina joined their fight, giving them the support they needed

01:57to be recognized, leading to the club's long-awaited approval.

02:03With the university's endorsement, the club has partnered with embassies and hosted national

02:07cat shows.

02:09The club even works with the minister to push for stronger animal welfare policies.

02:13Once we have that, then we will make it compulsory to all the universities and the schools to

02:18have clubs in Cedar Kuching.

02:20So that's how we can start.

02:22We should be starting at the university, at the school level actually, to create awareness

02:26among the students and to be compassionate to the animals.

02:30Beyond their physical well-being, these animals serve an unexpected but invaluable role on

02:35campus, providing emotional support to students.

02:39Best intervention to assist students in reducing the stress is playing with animals, playing

02:46with the cats, coming here to help to clean the shelter, to feed the cats, to clean the

02:51wood.

02:52It's like a therapy for them.

02:54Through weekend volunteer sessions, students come together, forming bonds over their shared

02:59love for animals.

03:01Many who initially volunteered casually have stayed on, drawn by a sense of purpose and

03:07camaraderie.

03:09Looking ahead, the Abu Huraira Club envisions a dedicated cat therapy garden on campus,

03:14a space designed not just for students, but for the broader community to learn about responsible

03:19pet care.

03:20If animals are not pest, they are our pets, so we have to take care of them as a community.

03:27The road ahead may be long, but with every rescue and every student transformed, this

03:32club is shaping a future where kindness towards animals is the norm, not the exception.

03:40Divya Ragu and Dinesh Kumar Maganadan, FMT Lifestyle.

03:44For more information visit www.fmt.edu.au

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