IPOH - A heart-wrenching letter from students who missed him at the SK Bandar Baru Putera here was why security guard K. Kittu, 50, or more affectionately known as ‘Uncle Kittu’, doubled back for duty at the national school on opening day on Jan 1, 2024.
Kittu, who was supposed to move to a new place of work at the end of last year, said he was exhilarated when he saw the overjoyed faces at school when the students were reunited with his surprise comeback.
"(Before this) My son had also tugged at me, pleading ‘Dad, just go to work there (SK Bandar Baru Putera). The students also wrote things like ‘uncle don't go’ and ‘uncle work here’.
"I read the letter which got me teary-eyed, so I decided to go back and work there,” the father of four from Taiping told Bernama today.
On Dec 5, Bernama reported how religious and racial differences were not a barrier for Kittu to have an endearing relationship with SK Bandar Baru Putera students, the majority of whom are Malays.
A one-minute 13-second video had gone viral on social media showing the students of the school sadly hugging Kittu with goodbye gifts at a farewell party organised by the school.
Kittu said when he returned to duty at the school on Jan 1, the students made him promise never to leave them again.
He was also very moved by the Parent-Teachers Association (PIBG) of the school which voted in favour of him returning to guard duty.
"They called me to work here again. Some people said things were a bit haywire without me when their children want to cross the street after school because if I am there, I tell the kids to wait at the hut before I stop the traffic for them,” said the guard of his road-crossing vigilance.
Meanwhile, Kittu said he was to have relocated to a school in Klebang here because he had moved house to the Klebang Restu area, but that obviously did not materialise.
Kittu’s wait to find a new location for security guard work was finally answered at the end of last year when he received a call from SK Bandar Baru Putera to return to work there till the end of this year.
According to him, teachers at the school also agreed for Kittu to be reinstated as the security guard because of his unblemished record in looking after the school children.
"The teachers here also like (the way I work). I feel very happy because I was once a truck driver before I broke my arm and could not do heavy work.
"When I started work at this school and saw the students respecting me, I knew I was to stay on as a security guard,” said Kittu who declared he will carry on as a security guard until the ripe old age of 60. - BERNAMA