With Compassion for Animals and People
By Tung Yin Leong
We met Yin Leong when we spoke at the Senior Fellowship of Wesley Methodist church in Melaka in February. A quiet elderly man, he gave a very down to earth personal experience of how he was saved from a nasty fall by ‘someone’ whom he presumed to be an angel. On our recent trip to Melaka in April we met again and found out more of his interesting life. He worked for many years as a pharmacist where his colleagues in the hospitals and pharmacies respected him for his uncompromising ethical integrity. He was also loved for being ever willing to go out of his way to help those in need. One such friend whom he helped recently gifted him with a smart phone so he could communicate by whatsapp. Because he has yet to learn how to do emails, he sent us his testimony through snail mail via the post office.
Just as I was falling I felt someone catch hold of me and gently put me down on the grass verge at the side of the drain. I did not suffer any scratches or bruises and found myself seated comfortably on the ground! I then realised that God has helped me again when I needed Him the most. I am very grateful to Him as He has saved me many times in my life. I pray to God to help me do many more good works to thank Him for continuing to give me life.
At 68 years old, my life took a sudden turn when the doctor diagnosed cancer in my colon. Although I was a government servant for 30 years and entitled to free treatment I opted to go to a private hospital to have my operation done the very next day. It was a long drawn operation which lasted from 2 – 10 pm. Complications followed. From the colon bag blood was detected. The doctor tried different treatments but the bleeding continued.
A group of young women came by my room and said they were from the catholic church and would I mind if they prayed for me. “I am bleeding to death, why not?” I thought. Not long after they left another group of women came by. They said they were from the Methodist Church. They asked, “Can we pray for you?” Again I accepted. The next day the doctor examined me and found that the bleeding had stopped. I told him, “The Man Up There ( my God) stopped it.” The doctor shook his head admitting that drugs could not stop it but the Man Up There did.
There were others in the hospital who had the same operation as I did. One of them a multi-millionaire tried injections which cost RM 17,000 a jab. He needed two jabs every two weeks. After the fourth jab he died. Another patient also tried many different cures but he also died. Twelve inches of my rectum was removed and thrown away. I had a colostomy bag fitted. After a few months I went for another operation to have my anus and colon re-attached. After my re-attachment operation, my bag was removed and besides some inconvenience of having to go to the toilet at times, I am bag-free up to now at age 76.
MY WAY OF SERVING
“Why do I continue to enjoy life while others died?” I often asked God.
I find that I love animals. I see sick, diseased, stray cats which have been thrown on the roadside and I bring them home. I am a pharmacist so I know what drugs and medicine to use to treat scabies, ticks, etc. One sick scraggly cat was treated with a medicine which cost RM10 a spray. He recovered so well that people could not believe he was the same cat! I buy the best cat food at RM84 for 4 kg. I spay the female cats to stop them re-producing. I take kittens to the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Once a big black cat strolled into my home in the morning. I fed him and he left. At lunchtime he appeared again and again I fed him. In the evening he came again and again I gave him food. He never stayed – just visited and ate and left. After some time he brought his friend along, never staying but just to enjoy my hospitality. In my neighbourhood I am known as the man who takes care of ten permanent cat residents. I used to take in stray dogs too but not any more as they are too heavy for me to carry.
My compassion extends not only to animals but to people. Once as I was walking on the street I noticed an old woman scavenging in the rubbish bins for items that she could salvage for sale. Her son had had an accident and cannot work so she had to support him. I gave her some money saying, “here, go home. Today you don’t have to work.” Another time I approached an old woman selling tissues to earn a few coins. “Here’s the money but keep your tissues.” I felt good seeing her big smile. 
