S’pore resident bids retiring condo security guard farewell with coffee treat and portrait with family: ‘So sad, I’ll pray for you, stay healthy’
A Singapore resident gave his retiring condominium security guard a heartfelt send-off, treating him to coffee at his home and inviting him to spend time with his family on his final day at work.
Instagram user @ayiiimm, whose real name is Abdul Rahim Musa, shared a clip showing him and the guard — who goes by Uncle Ricky — exchanging compliments on the day.
“My best guard last day today. Uncle, happy retirement, ah,” says Rahim. He then asks Uncle Ricky to impart some parting advice.
“Advice, uncle. How to be very kind like you?” asks Rahim in the clip.
“Must follow you,” Uncle Ricky replies. “You’re a very good man, your wife is very lucky, I tell you,” he adds.
“You set a good example. You’re very kind, very good,” says Rahim.
“So sad, Uncle,” says Rahim. I pray for you, you stay healthy like that, ah, Uncle. Take care, Uncle,” says Rahim, bowing respectfully before inviting Uncle Ricky for coffee at his place when he ended his final shift.
The video ends with footage of Uncle Ricky spending time with Rahim and his family, showing them photos of his younger self and taking photos with the family.
Uncle Ricky’s presence gave residents ‘real sense of home and familiarity’
The video has racked up more than 57,000 views, 2,700 likes, and 23 comments since it was shared on Aug 27.
Speaking to Stomp, Rahim, 44, said he and his family have known Uncle Ricky for three years — since moving to the condo located in the West of Singapore.
“Over the years, he became much more than just a familiar face at the guardhouse. He became someone our family genuinely looked forward to seeing and chatting with,” added Rahim, who is the founder and director of video production company, Redtape Projects.
According to Rahim, one memory that will stay with him is how Uncle Ricky offered to help and checked in on his family when he found out they had lost a cat not long after they moved into the estate.
“That really captures the kind of person he is. He would often drop by just to say hello or check that we and the kids were doing alright. Sometimes we would invite him over for coffee or a chat, especially when we had extra food after having guests over,” said Rahim.
The resident added that Uncle Ricky’s stories about his life experiences also provided entertainment and education for his children.
“We also loved listening to his stories about the different jobs he had done over the years, his life experiences and even how he managed to keep himself so fit. The children enjoyed those conversations, too. In a small way, he gave them a connection with someone from a different generation and a chance to hear stories they otherwise might never encounter,” said Rahim.
When he and his family learnt of Uncle Ricky’s retirement, they were understandably saddened.
“Uncle Ricky had become something of an icon to us. Having him around gave us a real sense of home and familiarity. There was always this reassuring feeling of, ‘Don’t worry, we can ask Uncle Ricky’,” Rahim explained.
Rahim added that it wasn’t any single grand gesture, but the accumulation of little acts of kindness over the years that made Uncle Ricky special.
“His presence made the neighbourhood feel warmer and safer for our family, so knowing that we would no longer see him regularly was genuinely quite emotional,” said Rahim.
Netizens bid him happy retirement too
Reactions from netizens indicate that Uncle Ricky is a popular figure in the estate.
“One of the best security guards! Always smiling and never failing to say hi to us! Happy retirement Uncle!” said one Instagram user.
“Sayang Uncle Ricky! Fatherly and caring and kind and makes you feel right when you’re home,” another said. “Love you, Uncle,” yet another added.
Uncle Ricky was seemingly nice not just to residents but to visitors, too. One commenter who had dealings in the condo commented: “Aww, Uncle. Yeah, he really is a kind man. He was so nice to us back when we were doing parcel deliveries.”
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