If you find yourself complaining about getting up at 7am and travelling to work five days a week, try waking up much earlier than that, board a train up a hill at 6.30am, and slog for at least 11 hours afterwards, at the peak.

And now, imagine doing this, when you are 61-years-old.

This is the routine of P Sanmuggam, a cleaner with the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), who is based in Penang Hill.

The senior citizen boards the furnicular train at 6.30am every morning, to the top of Penang Hill, and once at the top, sweeps the floor and empties the dustbins, until 6pm.

It may sound tiring, but for Sanmuggam, the satisfaction he gets from the job makes it worth the sweat shed.

"The air is fresh on top of the hill and keeping the place clean ensures a health community," the veteran of 39 years with MBPP was quoting telling The Star.

For his untiring work, Sanmuggam was conferred the Pingat Jasa Masyarakat (PJM) at the investiture ceremony to mark Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas’ 81st birthday at Dewan Sri Pinang in Penang recently.

Apart from Sanmuggam, seven others from MBPP and three workers from the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) also received the PJM award for the dedication towards their 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) jobs.

Kudos to the award receivers, and thank you for your contributions, come rain or shine.

Source: The Star
Photo source: The Star, www.penang.ws