ONE Malaysia Featherweight Tournament champion AJ Lias Mansor is not retiring anytime soon.
“I never said I wanted to retire. If there is an opportunity and the timing is right, I will continue to fight. But my focus now is on my family, my mom, and the things that are important to me,” said the 46-year-old fighter who goes by the nickname Pyro.
“It has really been hard because of the pandemic. I had to close down my gym business in October last year. When the second movement control order (MCO) was imposed, I was left without work,” he said.
However, he did not let the tough times get in the way of reaching out to those in need. He now spends his days carrying out a personal crusade – helping starving stray animals.
Although AJ’s charitable mission gained traction after the first MCO, he has been helping strays long before the restrictions. In fact, he has been rescuing stray animals since his childhood days.
“I love animals. Even when I was a kid, I used to bring sick kittens and even birds home. My mom would scold me.
“I just love animals, especially those that are sick and hurt,” he said.
“My love for animals never changed. During my fighting days, I used to travel a lot and I would always bring food to feed the strays.”
As the pandemic spread in Malaysia in the early months of last year, AJ said he became even more active in helping stray animals, adding that the restrictions imposed during the first MCO made it tougher for the animals to survive.
“Everything was closed, including restaurants, and no one was around. The dogs and cats on the streets were dying from hunger. I would go out twice a day to feed the strays.”
AJ had to spend an average of between RM300 and RM400 per week for his feeding missons, using his own savings and donations from friends.
“I would buy soft and dry food from pet shops and supermarkets. The food would finish fast as there were many strays, especially during the rainy season.”
Trials and tribulations
AJ shared an incident where his mother taught him a valuable lesson that made him the man he is today.
“I was born and raised in Kota Kinabalu to a single mother with nine children. It was hard for us as we had to earn everything. No matter what, my mum told me, respect everything.
“When I was nine or 10 years old, my mum took me to the pasar (market), and she showed me how much money she had, which was not much. As a kid, I was excited as I thought my mum would buy toys for me. But she said we did not have enough money for toys, only enough for fish and vegetables.
“When we arrived at the market, there were many beggars there. My mum ended up giving them the little money that she had.
“When I asked why she gave them the money, she told me even though we were poor, there were other people who were poorer than us and had more problems.
“I still remember her words, even after I became a champion. I have a lot of problems right now, especially financially, and I am feeling depressed. But I still want to help my friends, family and my furry friends. Helping others is a form of therapy for me.”
AJ said his quest to feed and rescue strays was to create awareness among the public and not to generate publicity for himself.
“They are God’s creatures too and they deserve a better life.”
