5 days ago
Kind-hearted resident: Malaysia's ‘Loh Mai Kai' fills potholes for safer roads
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The 69-year-old former labourer who voluntarily fixes potholes said he had seen motorcyclists fall after hitting potholes.
TANJUNG MALIM – Johor Bahru once had 'Panjang', the pothole fixer.
Now, Tanjung Malim, a town in the southern part of Perak near the border with Selangor, has 'Loh Mai Kai' – not the popular dish of steamed glutinous rice with chicken, but a kind-hearted resident who patches roads.
'Loh Mai Kai', whose real name is Mr Chee Siew Kuan, said he fills potholes with construction waste or rocks.
He has been doing so for nearly a decade.
'I used to work in Rasa, Selangor, and returned here in 2016. While cycling around the area, I came across potholes on several stretches of road, especially on Jalan Ketoyong,' said Mr Chee in an interview.
The 69-year-old former labourer said he had seen motorcyclists fall after hitting potholes.
'For my own safety and for that of other road users, I decided to fill the potholes with cement blocks, bricks or rocks,' he said.
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Mr Chee, a father of two, said he makes use of discarded construction materials.
'As I get around on a bicycle, I can move only a little (material) at a time. I use a pail to make it easier to transport rocks or concrete,' he said.
Despite having a heart condition, he sa id he enjoys repairing roads.
'I'm used to hard work and can't stand sitting ( idle ) at home.
'Since I have a lot of free time now, I spend hours – sometimes half a day – repairing roads.
'If I see tree branches jutting out towards the road, I'll also trim them,' he said.
Mr Chee also maintains the area around his home by cutting grass and clearing drains.
'The garden waste is used as fertiliser for my plants, while sediment and small pebbles gathered from drains are used to fill gaps or broken parts of drains,' he added.
He said he draws inspiration from his late father's advice to always help the community whenever possible.
'I take his words to heart and always think positively. To still have my health and be able to repair potholes – it's what I can physically offer to the community, as I do not have a high academic background,' he said.
As for his nickname , the question remains – why 'Loh Mai Kai'?
'I don't remember how I got the nickname, but all my friends have been calling me that since I was a kid.
'Maybe it was because of my love for the dish,' he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
