A food delivery rider was left feeling hurt and confused after overhearing a parent use his job as an example of what their child should avoid becoming.
The incident came to light after Muaz told his younger sister about a comment he overheard while waiting for a food order.
Parent made remark to child
According to the messages shared by his sister on Threads, Muaz was alone at the outlet when he heard a parent speaking to their child.
The parent reportedly told the child to study hard and make their mother and father proud, before pointing to Muaz and saying they should not end up like him because delivering food was difficult work that made him a “kuli”, or labourer.
Muaz told his sister the comment caught him off guard. He said he did not feel angry or annoyed, but wondered why someone would look down on a person earning a living through delivery work.
I felt like they were insulting the work I do to make money like this,” he wrote, adding that he was unsure how to make sense of the remark.
Sister speaks up for him
His sister said reading his messages made her sad. In her Threads post, she urged people not to insult someone without knowing their background or what they may be going through.
She also hoped the person who made the remark would see her post and realise how their words had affected him.
The post drew supportive responses from Malaysians, many of whom said parents could encourage their children to study without putting down another person’s job.
One commenter said food delivery riders play an important part in people’s daily lives by bringing meals to those who may be too busy or tired to go out.
Another said they would teach their child to respect someone who works hard and earns their own living.
For Muaz, it was a remark made in passing. But as his messages to his sister showed, it stayed with him long after he left the outlet.
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