http://www.mysinchew.com/node/40843
Datuk Seri Najib Razak's newly acquired Persian kitten recently received a scratching post and toy ball from Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Such a tender gesture shows the attentiveness of the Singapore prime minister while conveying a message: that the island republic is paying close attention to every move of Malaysia, including such a small matters like keeping a pet.
It in such a small detail that the close interaction between Singapore and Malaysia is reflected, and it is apparent that the relationship between the two countries has been improving.
Najib bought a Persian kitten and invited the people to name it. Some people consider such a request meaningless, and didn’t perceive the significance of it.
Keeping a kitten has therapeutic value to help a leader develop a more humane, caring and down-to-earth character. Besides, Malays love cats. Keeping a cat may narrow the distance between leaders and the public. Also, it can serve as a communication bridge.
When a cat lover is stroking his cat, he may think that “My cat is prettier than the prime minister's cat”.
In fact, many politicians keep pets, such as former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who liked small animals very much. He kept goldfishes, kittens, puppies and even piglets. And he liked a long-haired parrot called Toby the most.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin's pet is a female Labrador Retriever named Connie.
Meanwhile, Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej always adopts and raises stray dogs. He treats them equally regardless of breeds. The "First Dog" Thongdaeng was born as a stray too.
Chechnya President Ramzan Kadyrov keeps a tiger!
Many former presidents of the United States also showed their tender side by keeping pets. Former President Bill Clinton kept a pet cat called "Socks" and a pet dog called "Buddy". Socks went to Washington with the Clinton family when Clinton was elected the President. Socks had appeared in front of the media with his owner many times and earned the title of "America's First Cat".
Current US President Barack Obama had promised his two daughters two weeks after he was elected the president that he would give them a pet dog as a reward for their support during the presidential election. He gave his daughters a Portuguese Water Dog and they named him Bo.
There is also a story about a cat called Humphrey in Britain.
Humphrey was found as a stray wandering around the official residence of the British prime minister by a Cabinet Office civil servant. Humphrey was then employed as the mouser to the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street in 1989, and by the time of his retirement, Humphrey had risen to the position of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.
Humphrey had been living in the prime minister's residence during the premierships of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. But when Tony Blair moved into the prime minister's residence in 1997, Humphrey was said to have sent into exile.
At that time, the Conservative Party's rival accused Blair of exiling Humphrey because his wife Cherie did not like cats. Some even said that Humphrey was killed. To clarify the rumours, the Blair government had to release Humphrey's photos to prove that he was still alive.
The controversy over just a cat was because the British people are generally animal lovers.
In Malaysia, it surely is a nice story for our prime minister to raise a kitten, but the matter has turned ridiculous as the people here lack a real sense of humour.
