KUALA TERENGGANU: It may be Ramadan but 60-year-old trishaw rider Pok Hot Salleh does not find his work a bother, even under the hot sun.
Pok Hot Salleh, who is from Batu Burok, has been in the business for 40 years.
“I do sweat a lot because pedalling under the heat is really hard work, especially during Ramadan. But I carry on,” he said when interviewed in front of Pasar Payang here yesterday.
Pok Hot said working on an empty stomach had its advantage, quipping that it made him work better as he was not focused on where to stop for lunch.
“On a normal day, I would sometimes feel lazy, especially after lunch,” he said.
Pok Hot said his hard work sometimes came to nought because his daily earning was not much.
The father of eight said besides transporting people from Pasar Payang to the Kuala Terengganu bus station, he did odd jobs to support his family, especially now when they needed to prepare for Hari Raya.
He said he had not set a fixed price for a ride.
“I accept whatever amount people give me. Sometimes I get RM5, sometimes RM10. It depends,” he said.
Even that little sum for a trishaw ride is no longer an attraction.
“Who wants to ride a trishaw nowadays? People have their own cars with air-conditioning.
“On a good day, there will be tourists who want me to take them sight-seeing on my trishaw,” he said, adding that he once earned only RM10 a day.
He said his children had repeatedly asked him to stop working, but he refused because he could not imagine himself doing anything else.
He said pedalling the trishaw was also a way for him to exercise.
“Apart from some soreness after a long trip, I feel fine. I do not have a heart problem, diabetes or any serious illness.
“I am already 60 but I am the youngest trishaw rider here,” he laughed.
He also expressed his concern that in a few years, there might not be any more trishaw riders around.
Pok Hot Salleh, who is from Batu Burok, has been in the business for 40 years.
“I do sweat a lot because pedalling under the heat is really hard work, especially during Ramadan. But I carry on,” he said when interviewed in front of Pasar Payang here yesterday.
Pok Hot said working on an empty stomach had its advantage, quipping that it made him work better as he was not focused on where to stop for lunch.
“On a normal day, I would sometimes feel lazy, especially after lunch,” he said.
Pok Hot said his hard work sometimes came to nought because his daily earning was not much.
The father of eight said besides transporting people from Pasar Payang to the Kuala Terengganu bus station, he did odd jobs to support his family, especially now when they needed to prepare for Hari Raya.
He said he had not set a fixed price for a ride.
“I accept whatever amount people give me. Sometimes I get RM5, sometimes RM10. It depends,” he said.
Even that little sum for a trishaw ride is no longer an attraction.
“Who wants to ride a trishaw nowadays? People have their own cars with air-conditioning.
“On a good day, there will be tourists who want me to take them sight-seeing on my trishaw,” he said, adding that he once earned only RM10 a day.
He said his children had repeatedly asked him to stop working, but he refused because he could not imagine himself doing anything else.
He said pedalling the trishaw was also a way for him to exercise.
“Apart from some soreness after a long trip, I feel fine. I do not have a heart problem, diabetes or any serious illness.
“I am already 60 but I am the youngest trishaw rider here,” he laughed.
He also expressed his concern that in a few years, there might not be any more trishaw riders around.
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