Jailany Kuthubutheen (second from left) and Osman Ibrahim (fourth from left) with Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming (centre) during the event.
GEORGE TOWN: In a heartwarming display of integrity, two Penang Island City Council (MBPP) staff members, who found and returned a lost pouch to its owner, have been recognised and rewarded for their noble action.
Jailany Kuthubutheen and Osman Ibrahim, both 48, received RM500 each from Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming during the official opening of the Malaysian Urban Forum at Esplanade on Saturday (Oct 5).
During his speech, Nga praised the duo for their empathy and honesty while on duty.
"For me, it is a duty and an act of honesty to give respect and recognition, even if what they have done may not be expected from them. Yet, it shows integrity when no one is watching.
"They didn't steal the bag but waited until the owner came back. That’s something we should acknowledge," he said when asked by journalists about the matter.
Nga mentioned that he gave the reward from his own pocket as a token of appreciation for their noble effort. He also expressed confidence that, under the leadership of Datuk A. Rajendran, MBPP staff will be further motivated to make Penang the cleanest, most sustainable, and greenest city.
The two staff members, each with over 20 years of experience with the council, were on duty at Halaman Mayang near Bukit Gedong on the morning of Oct 4 when a woman driving by dropped her pouch from her car without realising it.
After 15 minutes, she returned to find no sign of her belongings. To her surprise, Jailany and Osman were waiting nearby with the pouch.
"We asked if she lost something, and when she said yes, we returned it," said Jailany. He added that he and Osman were merely doing their jobs but expressed gratitude to Nga for the contribution.
The pair couldn’t stop smiling as they received the reward from Nga, and they humbly radiated joy as they were applauded for their commendable actions.
