But the 44-year-old has a compassionate soul that shines whenever he’s in the presence of stray animals.

He has made it his personal mission to feed every single stray cat and dog he comes across in the deeply conservative city of Kota Bharu.

While most would question why Bambob would willingly go near a dog, or several for that matter, Bambob’s reasoning is simple: all creatures that are hungry deserve to be fed, and they also deserve to be treated well.

“I started feeding cats at first during the first Movement Control Order (MCO) last year, which is when I happened to come across a dog rummaging through the dumpster one day,” said Bambob.

“I then thought ‘This dog must be hungry because all the restaurants are closed and there was nobody around to feed it’, so I gave it some cat food.”

After getting acquainted with the hungry dog – who was christened ‘Ah Ciak’ – Bambob added one more pitstop to his growing list of locations where strays needed to be fed.

So far, he has around seven stops that he makes daily, where he will meet and “catch up” with the strays and fill their food bowls with kibble and wet food – which he replenishes every three to four days using funds generously donated by his followers on Facebook and also his closest friends.

“At first I was just feeding cats and Ah Ciak, but then she started bringing her other hungry friends along. I named this gang, the ‘Ah Ciak Gang’,” laughed Bambob.

The Ah Ciak Gang proved to be only the beginning of Bambob’s adventures with stray dogs.

A few weeks later, Bambob came across another pack of nine puppies, aged no more than two months, not far from the Ah Ciak Gang.

He proceeded to name this bunch the ‘Striped Gang’, or ‘Geng Belang’ because of their fur – which resembles that of a tiger.

Those are not the only furry friends Bambob has made, for there are two other gangs: the ‘Istana Gang’, comprising nine dogs named for their proximity to Istana Negeri Kelantan, and ‘Ah Ciak’s Baby’s Gang’.

The latter was evidently named after Ah Ciak’s litter of puppies who had found a sense of belonging with a pack of other adult dogs sheltering under abandoned lorries.

Unfortunately, this gang was poisoned one night a couple of weeks ago. None of them survived.

“16 adult and middle-aged dogs and five puppies died after ingesting food that was poisoned,” said Bambob sadly.

He also told FMT that one of his favourites, named Abe Long, was shot to death just recently as well.

“I truly loved them. I love all the dogs I feed, and I believe they love me too.”

Despite all the heartbreaks and grief he experiences every now and then, Bambob remains resilient and determined to continue his mission.

After all, the greater intention is to not only keep feeding hungry animals but to also open the minds of other Malaysians about taking care of animals.

Be it cats or dogs, Bambob believes that animal welfare should be a shared responsibility.

As such, he hopes that the state government can create a special shelter for these stray dogs and cats.

It should be one of the more serious responsibilities, he said, and added that the state shouldn’t just be enacting laws related to animals, but focused on looking after them as well.

“We claim to be an Islamic country, so let the Muslims in this country emulate how the Muslim community in Turkey treats stray dogs and cats,” said Bambob.

That being said, Bambob intimated that he would like to call out to everybody out there, regardless of race and religion, to come together and help the country’s stray dogs and cats.

Only then will we be able to see a positive change and put the wheels in motion to save all our strays, he said.

“Our ancestors have always instructed us to do good for these creatures. But I believe that there is only so much we can do as a community – the rest is up to the authorities to play their role.”

Bambob welcomes people from all walks of life to help him in his mission to feed the strays in Kota Bharu. You may reach out to him on his Facebook for more information regarding cat or dog food donations.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.