It was just another day at work for estate cleaner Kalam Mohd Abu last Saturday. But when an elderly woman approached him for help while he was washing the sixth-floor corridor of Block 103 Commonwealth Crescent, the 31-year-old Bangladeshi national didn’t hesitate to spring into action.
Apparently, she had asked him for food as she was strapped for cash and her mobility was restricted because of her recent operation. Out of the generosity of his heart, Kalam headed back to his store, where cleaners keep their belongings, to retrieve his curry rice for her.
According to Channel NewsAsia, the woman was pale and clutching her stomach, and Kalam instinctively knew he had to get his lunch box to her quickly. After borrowing an e-scooter from a resident, he was on his way back when three police officers from Queenstown neighborhood police centre halted him in his tracks.
Kalan told CNA that it was because cleaners were not allowed to use scooters for work, for safety reasons. But after he explained the situation to the patrol officers, they complimented him for his selfless act and posted about it on their Facebook page.
Kalam noted that the elderly resident was grateful for the food, and he was happy she “looked healthier” after consuming the meal.
His good deed also reached the ears of MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC and chairman for Tanjong Pagar town council Melvin Yong, who gave him a certificate of appreciation on Wednesday and noted that he had worked as a cleaner for the town council for 10 years.
Kalam’s supervisor, who declined to be named, revealed that the man was one of the kindest he had met.
“He has seen the elderly grow older, the weak become weaker and some have passed away over the years,” the supervisor told The Straits Times. “He has already been giving extra food to the elderly. That’s why when the lady asked for food the instinct in him came out.”
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