Transport workers honoured for kind acts
One helped special-needs boy, another caught molester, a third helped injured bikers
When he spotted a boy with special needs in school uniform on his bus, Mr Sam Ali, 53, an SBS Transit bus captain, thought something might be amiss.
The boy's school was not on his bus route.
The father of five children aged between three and 22, was worried the child was lost and kept an eye out for him.
So when the boy still did not alight, Mr Sam decided to act.
He did not want to alarm the boy so Mr Sam stopped the bus at a bus stop and approached the child, who had fallen asleep.
He then guided the boy off the bus and told him which buses he could take and explained how he could get to his destination.
He said: "I treat my young passengers like my own son, and if something like that happened to my children, I would like someone to help them too."
Mr Sam was one of 25 public transport workers to receive the Outstanding Award at a Transport Gold awards event yesterday at the Istana.
Mr Muhammad Noh Abdul Sukor, 35, an SMRT Trains station manager at Tanah Merah station, was also recognised.
He recalled an incident in May this year, where he had helped an elderly woman with dementia find her family.
Mr Muhammad Noh called the Public Transport Security Command (TransCom), but while waiting, he used Facebook to locate and message the woman's family, successfully contacting her nephew, who contacted her husband.
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Mr Muhammad Noh also stopped a molester at his station, pinning him down with the help of two men.
While waiting for TransCom, Mr Muhammad Noh noticed the suspect had cut his forehead. He treated the wound while ensuring he did not escape.
The awards ceremony was graced by President Halimah Yacob, and it recognised public transport workers for their acts of kindness on the job.
Along with the 25 presented with the Outstanding Award, 445 transport workers from sectors such as bus, rail and taxi operations received awards.
The event was organised by the Land Transport Authority and Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), and this year marks its 19th year.
At the event, Dr William Wan, SKM's secretary-general, said Singapore's 22,000 public transport workers make six million commuter journeys possible every day.
Another recipient of the Outstanding Award was Mr Hok Swee Kwan, a ComfortDelGro taxi driver.
He had twice pulled over in the middle of the road to help motorcyclists who were injured and lying on the ground.
He even carried their motorcycles to the side of the road on both occasions to make sure traffic continued to flow smoothly.
He said: "You never know who you're helping, and who you might inspire to help others.
"When you help, people will see it and maybe next time when they see someone who needs help, they will help each other too."
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