Robb Report Malaysia celebrates five leading Malaysian ladies who are recasting the world in their vision, driving the agenda in altruism and the professional spheres with verve, determination and hard-earned wisdom. We are honouring them as trailblazers and continuing the series here is SPCA Selangor Chairman Christine Chin.
Read this story and more. Download your free copy of Robb Report Malaysia April issue here.
“When I first started 30 years ago talking about and acting on kindness and compassion towards unwanted animals, people thought I was crazy. Many felt there were more important issues to deal with than helping animals,” says Christine Chin, Chairman of SPCA Selangor.
The past couple of decades have been both a personal and high profile journey for Chin. She has fostered thousands of puppies and currently keep about 90 dogs in her sanctuary. “I am most sorry for mamas and their puppies as these mamas have to fight for food while protecting their puppies.”
Highlights of Chin’s work with SPCA Selangor includes the Stray Free Selangor The Humane and Compassionate Way (SFS) initiative, launched in March 2017 by the NGO’s Royal Patron Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin.
Chin adds that SPCA Selangor worked hard and effectively lobbied the government, specifically the Ministry of Agriculture, to draft an Animal Welfare Act. Pre-2015, animal cruelty was met with a mere RM200 fine. To that effect, SPCA Selangor introduced the UK Dog Law Handbook that listed provisions on the duties of owners, breeding of dogs, as well as humane handling of strays.
“We were very happy when the Animal Welfare Act 2015 was finally tabled and gazetted,” mentions Chin. “It sends a message that animal cruelty is not tolerated in Malaysia,” she adds.
Chin follows through with a sociological reasoning for this. “A study in the US identified that people that are cruel to animals are five times more destructive in society because if they get away with abusing animals, they will continue their abuse and violence on children, women and society at large,” she explains.
Her work with SPCA Selangor, Chin says, is also about teaching people to be kind. “Animals are the lowest rung of sentient beings and they are voiceless and depend on us for their lives. We encourage young people to volunteer at SPCA Selangor, to speak up for the voiceless and become agents of change in the community. After all, as Chin knows, all it takes is one person’s determination with a modicum of grit.
On Christine Chin: Donna Karan jacket, Please Please pleated pants, Roger Vivier stilettos, Bulgari B.zero1Rock four-band ring in 18k rose gold and B.zero1 Sautoir in pink, yellow and white gold.
Hairstyling: Keith Ong/ Keith Hair Styling
Makeup: Deirdre Chong
Stylist: Cho Wee Chee
Photography: Micky Wong
