Man in traditional tunic calmly puts out fire at Pasir Ris block: ‘Jubah Boys save the day’
A video of a man in a traditional tunic calmly putting out a fire at a bin centre has gone viral, with netizens praising the man for his composure.
Instagram user @ichapiku shared footage of the man opening the shutters of the bin centre at a Pasir Ris HDB blocks as a fire rages inside.
As he prepares to use a fire extinguisher from the bin centre, he is joined by another man in shorts, also armed with an extinguisher from the void deck, and together they work to put out the fire.
The man in the white jubah — a long flowing tunic like a caftan — is later joined by three relatives who are dressed similarly.
They used a hose reel to douse the remaining flames before Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel arrived and took over. They then left the scene, smiling at the person filming.
The video was captioned “Jubah Boys saves (sic) the day”, and shows the four men regrouping with their relatives. One of them is heard remarking: “Eh berguna jugak eh pergi NS.” (National service is useful, in Malay.)
In the caption, ichapiku said in jest that they initially thought it was an ice cream man when they heard the alarm.
“Then some of us thought that the lift was not working,” she added, before they noticed the smell of smoke.
‘Very composed during emergencies’
Speaking to Stomp, ichapiku said the man in the white jubah was her husband, Abdullah.
She said that before anyone else could react, he had already headed downstairs to the bin centre.
“He went down to open the shutter!” she said.
The group had been visiting their aunt for Hari Raya when they noticed the fire, and she was not at all surprised when he sprang into action.
“It’s expected – that’s just very natural of him. He is very composed during emergency situations,” she said of her husband, a 31-year-old paramedic.
She added that he is always ready to help.
“We have stopped many times at road traffic accidents for him to go and assist. When it comes to safety, comfort and assurance, he’s the best at it,” she said. The couple have a three-year-old son.
Ichapiku added that the other three men dressed in jubah were her husband’s brothers-in-law.
Netizens praise ‘Jubah’ Boys
Netizens were impressed by the group’s quick actions
“Salute to the jubah boys and that one uncle in shorts,” one Instagram user said.
Some netizens felt the jubah boys were exactly what the community needed.
“Calm, fast, and courageous!!! This is what community looks like, looking out for each other!” said one.
Another added: “Amazing job! This is exactly what we need in our community — love this!”
Others felt Mr Abdullah’s quick thinking and action helped avert a disaster.
“Thank you guys. My mum is on the third floor, and she didn’t even realise there’s a fire below,” said one netizen.
“Not all heroes wear a cape, some wear a jubah,” another commented.
Several also called for the men to be recognised for their endeavours.
“Awesome! Salute to your cool, calm composure to the chaos of the bystanders,” one Instagram user said.
Another added: “I hope he’s given the recognition he deserves! That fire could have done more damage fast!”
SCDF said it was alerted to a fire at Block 150 Pasir Ris Street 13 at about 8.30pm on March 22.
“The fire involved contents in a centralised rubbish chute at the ground floor. Members of the public extinguished the fire using a hose reel and dry powder fire extinguishers before SCDF’s arrival,” it said.
There were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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