PUCHONG: ON his birthday, instead of expecting gifts, Muhammad Affiruddin Mat Ariff gave a new pair of shoes to a street sweeper whom he called "uncle".
The 33-year-old cendol seller said each time he saw the uncle sweeping the streets, he noticed how worn out his shoes were.
He said he regularly travels about 5km from his house to his cendol shop via Jalan Puchong Perdana.
"Once, I spotted the uncle near a traffic light and saw how worn out his shoes were. I could actually see his toes!
"Before I could wind down my window to ask him about his shoes, the light turned green and I was forced to drive on."
For three weeks, Affiruddin kept bumping into the uncle while travelling to work, but could not stop to talk to him until Sunday.
"I happened to be on the same road that weekend and the uncle was right in front of me. I immediately stopped my car and approached him.
"I asked if I could have a look at his shoes. His shoes had seen better days, despite the uncle's valiant efforts to have them frequently repaired.
"There was no doubt that I had to get him a new pair of shoes, although I did not know his size. So I made an educated guess."
Affiruddin said he went to a shoe shop and bought a new pair of shoes for the street sweeper.
"Thank God the new shoes fit. As he put on the shoes, I asked him a few questions, including about his working hours.
"The uncle told me that he was supposed to have gone back at that time, but he put off his trip home as he could see there was a lot of litter on the streets. His reply reflected his commitment to his job."
He said he shared his experience on social media to spread awareness about the hardship faced by cleaners.
"My message is that all of us must keep our surroundings clean. Otherwise, cleaners like this uncle will have to work extra time (while wearing worn out shoes).
"I'm glad to help Uncle on my birthday, despite our different race and faith. Perhaps this was God's plan for me to meet Uncle and help him," said Affiruddin, who was the supervisor of a hotel cleaning crew in Melbourne, Australia, before he began his cendol business in July last year.