Every morning in the heart of Kulim town, one familiar figure moves quietly with a broom in hand. At 58, Mr. Sittartan has spent nearly 33 years serving as a municipal sanitation worker under the Kulim Municipal Council. His footsteps, though simple, carry decades of dedication, discipline and lived experience.
Through scorching heat and heavy rain, he shows up, sweeping walkways, clearing drains, keeping shopfronts neat and making sure public spaces remain pleasant for everyone. His work creates the comfort we walk on daily, often without noticing.
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Yet, behind his calm smile lies a truth many overlooks. There are still people who disregard cleanliness, even right before his eyes.
“Sometimes, while I’m sweeping, people still throw rubbish in front of me. It hurts… because we do this work for everyone’s comfort. If the public doesn’t care, it feels like our efforts don’t matter.”
Despite this, he remains committed. For him, cleanliness is not just labour, it is a duty, a promise to ensure Kulim stays beautiful and livable for the community.
Over three decades, Mr. Sittartan has seen the best and worst of civic behaviour. He has felt pride when the streets gleamed, and frustration when litter returned faster than it could be swept away. But never once did his spirit break.
He believes a clean city is not built by cleaners alone, it is built by cooperation.
“A piece of rubbish may seem small. But if everyone throws it carelessly, it becomes a big problem. Please value cleanliness, dispose of waste properly. Cleanliness is not just our duty. It’s everyone’s responsibility.”
We often walk past workers like Mr. Sittartan, unnoticed and unseen.
But the truth is simple:
A clean city is a shared effort. Behind every spotless street, there is a person who wakes early to make it so.
His story teaches us gratitude, respect, and awareness. Let us treat public spaces as our own, honour those who maintain them, and raise cleanliness from habit to culture.
Because cleanliness is not just a job for one, it is a responsibility for all.
Source / Image Credit : Kulim Media Tv
