Volunteered Postman for 22 Years.

FOR 22 years, a Health Department worker has delivered mail daily — without any payment — just like any postman on a motorcycle, to some 300 houses in Kampung Sungai Nibong Tengah here.

Abdul Rahim, 56, said he wakes up in the morning on his days off to sort out an average of 300 letters, a task that takes him four hours.

Then he delivers them to the houses later from 2pm to 5pm.

He added that during his workdays, he had to sort out the mail in the evening and deliver it early in the morning at 6am the next day.

“It is difficult to deliver the mail here as the road system in our village is disorganised and the houses are also hard to tell apart,” he said.

He said that in 1986, the postman sent the mail to a community hall which would be collected by the villagers.

After the centre closed down, the mail was delivered to the surau but the system did not turn out well.

“In the end in 1989, I volunteered to deliver the mail, and since then I have been the community postman here,” he said.

Abdul, who works with the George Town Health Department, has an uncanny memory of each villager’s house and is able to remember the address of each person at the drop of a hat.

“I do it rain or shine because I feel that this is what I can contribute back to the society, without wanting any rewards,” he said.

Yesterday, his labour became lighter as a result of the Kampung Sungai Nibong Village Deve- lopment and Security Committee (JKKK) approaching Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin to set up a more convenient postal system.

Now, 150 houses in area C of the village now has a postbox system which costs RM10,000.

Sim said each of the houses would now have a detailed address, adding that the remaining 200 families in areas A and B of the village would have their boxes by May this year.

“It will take time for the villagers to be familiar with the new system as they need to come and check their mail daily but this way is more efficient,” he said.

The postal boxes are located in front of a sundry shop owned by villager Ng Say Thong, 62, who was more than happy to have the boxes there.

“It will now be more convenient for us as sometimes, Rahim would fall ill or be unable to deliver the mail due to his obligations at work,” he said.

Business operator A. Vasagam, 47, said the villagers appreciated Rahim’s labour of love and was happy with the new system.