KUCHING: A story of a stray cat named Garfield, once nursed back to health by the late Puan Sri Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, was shared by her daughter, Dayang Norjihan Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, at the closing of the Kuching International Cat Festival 2025.
Norjihan recalled that in the 1990s, when she was still in primary school, she and her late mother found a stray cat and made him their pet.
“We called him Garfield. One day he was hit by a car and the vet told us he could not be saved. My brother and I cried, but my mother calmly took him home and cared for him with patience and love. After three months, Garfield was able to walk again like a normal cat,” she said.
She shared the story to underline her late mother’s compassion for animals and to encourage society to embrace empathy.
“What I want to say here is that when compassion and love exist within us, not only for animals but for each other, we can build a society with empathy, good manners and unity.
“This is the City of Unity that we want to show to the world,” she said in her speech as the guest of honour at the festival’s closing ceremony at the Kuching Waterfront here on Sunday.
Norjihan also paid tribute to her late mother, who had officiated the Cat Festival from 2011 until last year, describing her as an inspiration for her family and the wider community.
“Her presence at this festival was a great honour because it reflected how important a role she played in nurturing love and compassion towards animals,” she said.
She urged the public, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), cat clubs and the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) to work together in providing regular educational programmes, animal care initiatives, and wider access to information so that the commitment becomes a continuous practice.
“In addition, the establishment of cat shelters can also be encouraged so that we can care not only for our pets but also for stray cats, especially local cats in need.
“Cultivating empathy towards animals should be nurtured within us and instilled in our children so that their welfare is safeguarded within our increasingly challenging society,” she added.
The Kuching International Cat Festival 2025, organised by DBKU, is a signature event that this year attracted 234 entries for the World Cat Show from Thailand, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, while a total of 50 cats took part in the Cat Parade held on Saturday.
