Even under the drizzling rain on a Saturday morning, the 57-year-old Kaya Bread vendor could be seen on his bike, donning his raincoat and parking against a mural art of him before honking his recognisable horn.
In an exclusive interview with Bernama, Muniandi said that he would still continue his job to sell bread around Balik Pulau and meeting all the friendly residents around, despite of old age.
Even though business was getting slower nowadays, especially under bad weather conditions, he said that the friendly faces from his customers and his three children are his biggest motivations that kept him pushing forward.
“I have seen a couple of recognisable residents here in the villages in Balik Pulau, happily chatting with me and the others and working hard despite of old age until they die, and it actually brought a smile to my face to see they live life to the fullest rather than just do nothing and wait for their life to end,” he told Bernama today.
He also said that every single sen that he earned from his job had all been invested in his children’s education, to which he has successfully raised his eldest daughter, 29, as a doctor, his second daughter, 25, as a lawyer, and his youngest son, 19, pursuing his studies in chemical engineering in Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in Perak.
Noraini Yusof, a school staff in SJK(C) Sacred Heart, said that Muniandi’s children were sent to their school here and was proud seeing his children growing up on their own successful career paths.
“I’ve known Kumar since I was little, and he comes by to the villages every afternoon selling bread. He recognises us as if we are a part of the family, just as how we treated him,” she told Bernama.
On July 24, Muniandi was told that his daughter wanted to take him and his wife on a vacation in line with his birthday celebration, as he had never been travelling for 30 years.
However, he insisted that the fund could be used for his cattle farm in Pantai Acheh, where he would spend his free time there helping his brother taking care of his 20 cattle and selling milk.
“I am very happy with what I have and where I am now, especially what I have been given in return,” he said.
A mural art dedicated to him was drawn opposite SJK(C) Sacred Heart by street artist, Andhar A Samah, who was commissioned by the National Art Gallery and the Culture and Arts Department in conjunction with Balik Pulau Festival 2019.
Muniandi remembered the silly exchange between a contemporary graffiti artist, Acit Raman Abdullah, who also had contributed in drawing the mural art.
“When Acit was young, he liked to draw in the middle of the village road until I told him to get out of the way because I was worried that I would hit him with my bike, but now seeing him growing up and starting to draw my face on the wall, I feel really happy,” he laughed.
He wished to express his gratitude towards the artists who contributed to the mural art dedicated to him, as well as his customers who had been supportive towards him throughout the years.–BERNAMA
