Bangladeshi Mr Shahid Dullah works 12 hours a day, and often seven days a week, as a conservancy foreman at AMKTC, but he is full of smiles when asked about his life in Singapore.
“The people here are friendly and the place is safe. I have job security and I get a monthly salary that can support my parents,” said Mr Shahid, who is single. His parents live with his four brothers in Bangladesh.
On his days off, he will visit Little India to buy food (Bangladeshi delights) and second-hand clothes or to catch up with his friends. “I enjoy watching Bangladeshi and Hindi movies, and I like to cook nasi briyani, chicken and mutton curry to share with my friends and colleagues,” he added.
Mr Shahid, 31, left his home country a decade ago for better job prospects in Singapore. He rose through the ranks over the years and now supervises a team of six conservancy workers comprising three Bangladeshis and three Singaporeans. Together, they maintain the cleanliness of Blks 350 to 354 and Blks 330 to 337 at Ang Mo Kio Ave 1.
A typical day for him starts at 7am. He conducts block cleaning, wipes the lifts, sweeps the common corridors and washes the floor. He knocks off at 7pm each day, and he doesn’t bat an eyelid at his long working hours. In fact, he said:”I usually work overtime as I want to earn more money to support my family.”
The pandemic has caused much upheaval to everyone’s lives and routines, and Mr Shahid too, finds himself dealing with an extra workload. For one, he has to clean the lifts and common areas more often to maintain public hygiene and safety for the residents. “The lift buttons are a frequent touchpoint so I have to clean the lifts three times a day,” he shared.
In addition, with people cooking more meals at home, he has to clear more food waste from the central refuse chute at the residential blocks. He also has to remove more bulky items like old furniture as more people work from home.
However, his dedication to his job has not gone unrecognised, as residents will thank him for his hard work. “Sometimes, they will also offer meals and clothes,” he said with a smile.
He is also thankful to the nearby community centre for giving conservancy workers free food during the pandemic. “It helps us save time and money from buying our meals,” he said.
Grateful residents aside, what makes Mr Shahid continue to put in 100 percent into his work is that he’s proud of what he is doing.
“I’m happy that I can provide a useful service to the residents and the community.”
Chinese
来自孟加拉的沙希德·杜拉（Shahid Dullah，31岁）10年前离乡背井，来到新加坡工作。作为宏茂桥市镇会的清洁工头，他带领六名清洁工，一起负责宏茂桥1道第350座至第354座和第330座至第337座组屋的清洁工作。他通常从上午7时开始清扫走廊和擦拭电梯等，直到晚上7时才放工。虽然工作时间长，但他不辞辛劳、敬业乐业。心存感激的居民有时会送上食物和衣服，让他倍感温馨。他说：“我很高兴能为居民和社区效劳。”
Malay
Sebagai penyelia penyenggaraan di AMKTC, Shahid Dullah menyelia satu pasukan yang mempunyai enam pekerja penyenggaraan. Beliau mula bekerja pada pukul 7 pagi, mengelap lif, menyapu koridor umum dan mencuci lantai. Kerja kerasnya diiktiraf oleh penduduk, yang akan mengucapkan terima kasih dan menawarkan makanan dan pakaian kepadanya. Shahid berkata: “Saya gembira kerana dapat memberi perkhidmatan yang berguna kepada penduduk dan masyarakat.”
Tamil
அங் மோ கியோ நகர மன்றத்தில் பராமரிப்பு மேற்பார்வையாளராகப் பணிபுரியும் ஷாஹிட் டுல்லா, ஆறு பராமரிப்புப் பணியாளர்களை மேற்பார்வையிடுகிறார். அவர் காலை 7 மணிக்கு வேலையைத் தொடங்கி, மின்தூக்கிகளைத் துடைத்து, பொது நடைவழிகளைப் பெருக்கி, தரையைக் கழுவுவார். அவரது கடின உழைப்பைக் கண்ட குடியிருப்பாளர்கள், அவருக்கு நன்றி கூறி, உணவும் உடைகளும் கொடுத்தனர். “குடியிருப்பாளர்களுக்கும் சமூகத்துக்கும் பயனுள்ள சேவை வழங்குவது எனக்கு மகிழ்ச்சி தருகிறது,” என்றார் திரு ஷாஹிட்.
