Hishamuddin Rais may sometimes come across as brash in his defence of human rights but the activist has a soft spot for animals - his two dogs and tortoises.

Hishamuddin, in an interview with Malaysiakini, said he would always tell seven-year-old Ezi, a pug and 12-year-old Jai, a Telomian, when he leaves the house.

However, this time, Hishamuddin is finding it difficult to tell them that he may not be seeing them for nine months if the Court of Appeal on Monday upholds his jail sentence for sedition.



Apart from the dogs, Hishamuddin also has two tortoises, named Sepang and Gate, that freely roam his apartment.

“I have yet to tell them about the appeal at the Court of Appeal but they’re hearing it for the first time in this interview,” he told Malaysiakini at his apartment as he patted Ezi’s head.

His tortoises though, were rather shy during the interview.

“They’re in the house but sometimes they come out and other times they hide. Today, they are shy to come out,” he said.

He added that while he is away, friends would take care of them.

Hishamuddin was on Jan 9 last year fined RM5,000 by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court under the Sedition Act, but the prosecution successfully appealed for a tougher penalty at the High Court - nine months’ jail.

He has since filed an appeal and his fate will be known on May 16.

The 64-year-old hardened activist had been detained some 15 times throughout his life, including twice under the Internal Security Act.

‘Animals companions even in detention’

Being unmarried, Hishamuddin said the animals are his companions.

He had previously also had three cats, but they have all since passed on.

“I don’t call them animals but occupants of my house.




“Ezi and Jai will welcome me every time I come home... they have been the same in the last nine years,” he said.

However, he said Jai is deaf and blind in one eye due to its old age.

“Sometimes when Jai tries to welcome me or is waking, he would knock into the wall,” he said.

Hishamuddin said it is his daily routine to walk Ezi and Jai at the Chinese cemetery along Jalan Syed Putra Kiri, which is near his apartment.

At night, Jai would sleep in the living room while Ezi would sleep under Hishamuddin’s bed.

The activist said despite having had dogs, cats and tortoises living under one room, it had always been peaceful among them.

“The saying that dogs and cats always quarrel is wrong, and I’ve proven it. They all live here in peace and harmony,” he laughed.





Hishamuddin said during his two-year detention under the Internal Security Act, he even had a monitor lizard and a cat as pets.

“I and Tian Chua (now Batu MP) were detained in Kamunting and we both had a monitor lizard because it entered the prison toilet. but it managed to escape shortly after,” he said.

Hishamuddin said he had even brought home the cat, named Lucky, when he was released from detention.

The cat has since passed on.

Asked why Hishamuddin is still unmarried, he replied laughingly, “If there is any woman out there to have read this story and can accept my animals, then I can marry her.”