Fundraiser held for animal shelter

PETALING JAYA: In conjunction with World Vegetarian Day, which fell on Oct 1, a vegetarian restaurant here held a fundraiser recently for the Second Chance Animal Society (SCAS), which is based in Hulu Langat, Selangor.

Tracy S.C. Wong, who founded the Loving Hut Malaysia vegan restaurant, said the event was also supported by the Malaysian Vegetarian Society (MVS).

She said the inspiration for the fundraiser came from her deceased dog Happy.

“Happy lived a healthy life for almost 14 years until her death on Aug 5. She was on a vegetarian diet, which challenged the common misconception that animals cannot thrive without meat.”

Wong said SCAS dedicated itself to rescuing and caring for stray animals since its establishment in 2009.

“When I visited SCAS, I noticed that the animals ran freely and were very friendly. Its commitment to providing shelter, medical care and love to abandoned animals is a testament to its compassion and dedication.”

Wong said she opened a vegan restaurant and promoted a plant-based diet as she believes it could have a positive impact on the planet, health and the environment.

“Our commitment is to provide food that’s tasty, healthy and acceptable to everyone. We are the only vegan restaurant that does not serve garlic, onion, dairy products or honey,” she said.

Former health minister Tan Sri Liow Tong Lai, who was the guest-of-honour at the event, said many people should focus on a vegetarian lifestyle for the sake of the environment and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

“With global warming and the current world situation, going vegetarian is the only way to save the world. I can foresee that in the future, there will be more vegetarians as the number of vegetarian restaurants is growing.”

Liow also said a vegetarian lifestyle promotes a healthy diet to combat non-communicable diseases, and expressed support for the MVS effort to encourage more Malaysians to embrace a plant-based lifestyle.

“As a former health minister, I know we need to promote a healthy diet. Non-communicable diseases are largely caused by unhealthy diets.

“Half of our population are overweight, and that is not even counting people who are obese. This is a major problem because overweight people are at a higher risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, often in that order,” he said.

Subang Jaya Zone 3 City councillor Jane Lee Jen Uyin, who also attended the event, said all stakeholders should work together to ensure people are aware of the benefits of adopting a vegetarian lifestyle.

“Local councils and the state government are working on urban farming, which would encourage people to start growing more vegetables. In the long run, we hope they will drop meat altogether.”

MVS president Datuk Pishu Hassaram said the society promotes plant-based diets across diverse sectors, including education and corporate organisations.

He said the positive impact of each individual adopting a plant-based diet will contribute to a more sustainable future for all.

“Imagine, if a single person consumes vegetarian food for just a day a week for one year, we would save 170kg of our carbon footprint.

“Each individual’s contribution will make a difference to society now and in the future,” he said.

from Highlights https://ift.tt/6x7nH39
via IFTTT