news

Postman Breaks Down In Tears After Learning There Will Be No Bonus Despite Overworking

The man was spotted crying under the rain after completing a delivery in Penang Island on 16 May.

Cover image via Masakan Utara Barat/Facebook

Photos of a delivery man sitting under the rain by the roadside in Penang are going viral on Facebook

According to the post uploaded by a Facebook profile named 'Masakan Utara Barat', it is alleged that the man broke down in tears after knowing that he would not be receiving any bonus this year despite handling more deliveries for the company.

"The delivery man came to my house to send an item I bought online. Suddenly, he received a call and I later saw him sitting under the rain, soaking wet," the post read.

"I told my sibling to ask the delivery man what had happened, but he refused to divulge. But after being pressed a few more times, the delivery man said he received a call from his company and was told that he would not be receiving a bonus this year."

When contacted by SAYS, the account identified herself as 'Amye' and explained that the incident happened outside her house in the north region of Penang Island last Saturday, 16 May.

The delivery man revealed that it is his first time not receiving a bonus before Hari Raya

He said that he received a RM1,000 bonus last year.

"Speaking with a shaking voice while tearing, the delivery man said that the workload is getting heavier every day, yet there is no bonus this year," Amye said.

"He said he was looking forward to the bonus because his family is dependent on him after his father's passing three years ago."

Amye said the delivery man has to pay for his motorcycle debt, rent, and many more utilities, but his meagre RM1,000 over monthly salary can barely scrape by.

After learning about the delivery man's plight, Amye questioned the delivery company if it is true that their employees are not receiving bonuses this year

According to her, the Movement Control Order (MCO) has seen a rise in deliveries and that the fuel price has plummeted.

"More deliveries means more profits, isn't it? How can there be no bonus? Please don't use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to not pay your staff bonuses," said Amye.

At the time of writing, the post has gone viral with over 28,000 shares and 65,000 likes.

Amye told SAYS that she met the delivery man again today, 18 May, after the latter came to her house for another delivery

Amye said she tried to persuade the delivery man into bringing her to his house as she wanted to give him some essentials during this trying time.

"When I saw his house, I was shocked and wanted to cry. His entire house was so small, it could just be as big as the size of my bedroom," Amye said.

"They sleep and eat at the same space."

Amye told SAYS that the delivery man wanted to use the bonus to buy new Hari Raya clothing, but the money did not come.

While Amye intended to help the man, she did not want to publicise the latter's bank account number as it would reveal his name and put his job in jeopardy for "ruining the image of the company".

If you wish to help the delivery man, you can reach out to Amye at her Facebook profile here.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing online petition that demands Pos Malaysia give bonuses to their employees

The petition was initiated by Noni Mohd Nor on Change.org yesterday, 17 May.

"Let's support our other frontliners - the mailmen, abang pos and all the post workers behind the scenes and push Pos Malaysia to appreciate their hard work during this COVID-19 MCO by giving them some bonus or duit raya at least (sic)," read the description of the petition.

Within a day, the petition has accumulated over 7,000 signatures of its 10,000 target.

UPDATE (22 May):

The woman who posted about the postman has been arrested for an alleged scam:

Remember to #JustStayAtHome. Watch the latest update on the COVID-19 situation:

Here are other charity groups you can support during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with the latest report about an arrest involving an alleged scam.

You may be interested in: