To feed stray animals, this woman dresses up as a clown on weekends

IPOH, Aug 25 — Many people juggle between two jobs to make a living and to pay the bills. While Nazirah Abd Rahman is no different, she does it for a different reason altogether.

The 42-year-old, known as “Mama Pinky”, dresses up as a clown every weekend and performs at local cafe Konda Kondi, selling balloons of various shapes and sizes.

Why does she do it? To make enough money to feed stray cats and dogs, as well as pay for their medical bills.

Nazirah travels back and forth from Ipoh to Batu Gajah every weekend to sell balloons by dressing up as a clown at a cafe in Ipoh. — Picture by Farhan Najib

“The reason why I’m doing this is simple, I really feel sympathy for them. Unlike humans, they can’t tell whether they are hungry or in pain.  

“So whenever I find stray cats or dogs, I will feed them and if they are wounded, I will bring them to the veterinarian,” she told Malay Mail.

Nazirah, who has about 50 cats under her care at home, has been helping the stray animals for more than four years.

Nazirah has about 50 cats under her care at home. — Picture by Farhan Najib

“Previously I only managed to help a small amount of animals. But after starting this part time job I can take care of more, especially the ones with serious injuries like broken legs, big wounds, and so on.

“I need about RM400 every week to take care of the cats in my house and also the strays,” she added.

Nazirah, who is a beauty consultant at a shopping complex in Ipoh, travels back home in Batu Gajah, about 20km from Ipoh, by motorcycle after work and heads back again to Ipoh at night to perform at the cafe.

Nazirah works as a beauty consultant at a shopping complex in Ipoh by day and moonlights as a clown at the Konda Kondi cafe in Ipoh. — Picture by Farhan Najib

It takes half an hour for her just to dress up as a clown. She usually starts around 9pm and finishes at 11pm.

After that, she takes a ride around Ipoh to feed the strays there and heads back to Batu Gajah at around 12am or 1am.

The mother of three, aged between 20 and 23, said that her children have also started to emulate her efforts in caring for stray animals.

“Whenever they find any injured animals, they will bring back home so that they can be treated. Even if the animals are dead, they bring them back home and bury them.

“However, if they found any injured or dead dogs on the road, they will help bring them to the veterinarian or bury them somewhere near,” she said.

Nazirah is pictured feeding stray cats at a market in Ipoh. — Picture by Farhan Najib