Few days ago, I started a new series on Discovering Undermined Gems to highlight those in the service line. It was a prompting from my heart to showcase these people who seemed to always be behind-the-scenes. As mentioned in my previous introductory post, I am trying to collect a bigger tip for them, if I can. So the payout from this posting will go to them. If not, then I will perhaps be making some appreciation cards or buy them a drink or ice cream, if their work area would permit that.
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Whatever we are doing, do it with all of our heart and not half-spiritedly.
Adapted from the following bible verse:
Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord, as we serve the Lord Yahweh, the Anointed One! Colossians 3:23-24 (The Passion Translation)
In my country Malaysia, tipping is not a regular practice though some do tip. So for those in service, what they receive at the end of each month or day is usually their basic salary, which is not much for those in fast food chain and also in other service line. We have many foreigners who are in this line. They are probably from Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Phillipines, Pakistan or Myanmar. Some of them can be even degree graduates, but for the sake of living, they left their countries to work here. Impressively, many have learnt to speak our national language too. Some are more fluent in it until we may mistake them as locals. Some are hired to be cooking our local dishes too, and they excel in it.
I can't really tell how often I will be updating this series, perhaps as and when I meet some really good people in service or I am alert enough to look out for them.
This cause is motivated by this philosophy that I have come out with my own words:
Be sensitive in a good sense: Notice the unnoticed who have been serving faithfully.
Names written in this series will be their real names as I want to give due recognition and acknowledgement to them.
Meet Md. Firoz
I was on my way home when I saw my petrol indicator was blinking so I turned into my regular petrol station. I sort of gotten acquainted with some of the attendants because my car's petrol cover was always stucked and they have always been helpful when they see me struggling with opening it. Hahaha.
Today, it was Firoz who helped me. He was already on standby after I parked my car. I paid and when I got back to my car, he gave me a thumb up, indicating that he will be helping me to pump the petrol in. While waiting, I thought maybe I could strike a conversation with him.
I asked where he is from. He replied he is from Bangladesh. From our conversation, I got to know that he is 28 years old and he has been working in Malaysia for 4 years. He gets rotated here and there within the same petrol station company. He has many siblings at home and he is working to earn a living to provide for his company as well as to get married. He would be going home for his leave next year. He speaks our national language, Malay quite fairly and he is a polite young man. He even helped to clean my windscreen which was quite dirty.
It was actually his dinner time, and he let his two other colleagues to eat first so he was on standby for the whole station. I told him about what I want to do, which is featuring him in a post, to let others know what a great job he is doing, for being sacrificial. We could not talk too long because after he was done with me, he got to run over to another car. I can tell he is very responsible with his job and he doesn't slack at all. He took his job seriously.
I wish I took more photos, but you see, because I was also nervous since I have only started doing this the second time. I forgot to take photos of him cleaning my windscreen nor pumping the petrol for my car. I was thinking to engage in a conversation with him so I only took two photos of Firoz. I want to be back to tip him better.
Valuing Foreign Workers
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With so many foreigners workers in my country, reported to be approximately 1.7 million of them, they sometimes do suffer mistreatment. My heart goes out to them. There was once I saw some foreigners who went shopping during their rest day but got mistreated by some of the supermarket staffs who are actually locals. They spoke to them unkindly and I did not like it. I actually wrote in to their management but I did not receive a reply till today.
I am not more noble or kinder, but I guess perhaps we can be educated again to be empathetic and know that without them, actually our nation may not be able to run as usual. There are jobs that locals are unwilling to take but the foreign workers are the ones filling in. We actually NEED them as much as they need their jobs. So, if they leave one day, we should perhaps think: are we going to take their places to serve?
Well, this is my thoughts. I believe whether we belong to this nation or not, we should show respect to human beings. It is already a difficult decision to work in a foreign land which they are not understood and they have learn our language to at least communicate. They work hard and with all of their heart, even though they cannot wait to go home to be reunited with their family.
Thank you for your time taken to read this post. Thanks for joining me in recognizing the undermined gems and let them shine too!
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