THEY call him the tree whisperer. Yes, that’s V. Kalimuthu, 58, a dedicated staff member of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), who works at the Landscape Department.
When Kalimuthu joined the local council 29 years ago, he was tasked with cutting trees on the island. This was not new to him, as he spent most of his childhood climbing trees and staying connected to nature.
Over the years, Kalimuthu further sharpened his tree-cutting skills and is now a supervisor, overseeing a group of workers in related tasks.
Kalimuthu was among eight MBPP and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) staff honoured with the Pingat Bakti Setia (PBS) and Pingat Jasa Masyarakat (PJM) respectively.
“I am 58 now and will retire in two years. During this period, I hope to train and share my expertise as much as I can with my colleagues in this particular area and emphasise the importance of ensuring the trees in Penang are well-maintained.
“Although not an expert in the field, I am grateful to MBPP for making sure the workers are well-equipped, especially in terms of the job we do, by sending us for courses to learn and strengthen our knowledge about the work we do here,” Kalimuthu told reporters during the investiture ceremony in conjunction with the 75th birthday of Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak at Dewan Sri Pinang recently.
Meanwhile, Wan Razak Wan Chik, 59, who has worked for MBPP for 36 years now, and is attached to the Urban Services Department, thanked MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran for rewarding him for his dedication, commitment, and service to the local council over the years.
Kalimuthu and Wan Razak received the PBS medal.
The other six staff were Mohamed Adnan Yusoff (PBS; MBPP), Peritam Singh (PBS; MBPP), Amran Sahriff (PJM; MBSP), Muhamad Shauqi Fadzail (PJM; MBSP), C. Daundaran (PJM; MBSP) and Hamid Abdul Majid (PJM; MBSP).
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix courtesy of The Star