Malaysian mall cleaner dedicates 27 years to job without taking leave

Abu Bakar, a 70-year-old cleaner at a mall in Klang, has worked tirelessly day and night without taking a weekly off or a sick leave in his career. 

His backbreaking efforts made his daughter a judge, one son a doctor, and another an engineer.

The cleaner left his hometown, wife, and small kids behind when he discovered that work opportunities in Malaysia were abundant. 

However, he said in an interview with Humans of Kuala Lumpur, a Malaysian media outlet, that not everyone was ready for these kinds of jobs.

The cleaner is originally from Bangladesh and commuted to Malaysia in 1980 when he was 31. As the breadwinner of his family, he had to work hard for them. 

Abu Bakar has never returned home since he arrived in Malaysia and reveals that he misses his family a lot.

“I haven’t returned to Bangladesh since I came here. I miss my family, and they miss me too, but everything I’ve done has been for my children’s better future,” he stated in the interview.

From his job, he earns 1,640 ringgit (US$400) and sends a significant portion of his salary back to his hometown village in Bangladesh.

This December, he will retire and finally return home. His story has touched many hearts, and numerous viewers have wished him a safe and happy journey home.