SINGAPORE: An SBS supervisor’s service and dedication were highlighted by the company in a social media post over the weekend. Nithyananthan Palne, also known as Nathan, went out of his way to help a Malaysian man, understandably, who felt quite desperate after losing his passport.
“He was crying, saying he couldn’t return to Malaysia without his passport and didn’t know what to do!” Mr Nathan, a Senior Assistant Interchange Supervisor with SBS, said.
The man’s story began at 5:00 one morning, when Mr Nathan was starting his shift at Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange. He was approached by a Malaysian man in his 20s who looked visibly distressed after having lost his passport and searching all night for it.
The man believed he had left his passport on a bus he had previously boarded.
Mr Nathan went into action immediately to help the man, calling staff at different interchanges, only to be told that the man’s passport had not been located. This went on until he called the Seletar Bus Depot and discovered that a bus captain had found a passport matching the description the man provided under a seat on Service 24.
He then went all the way there to get the passport himself and then gave it to the man at the interchange after verifying his identity.
The man was full of joy to get his passport back, to the point of calling Mr Natgan a few days later so he could thank him personally again.
“We commend Nathan’s outstanding service and dedication, embodying our CARES values of helpfulness and dependability. Well done, Nathan!” SBS noted.
The post features a beaming Mr Nathan, as well as a thank-you note from the grateful passenger.
In it, the man explained that he had no idea where he had lost his passport. Heartbreakingly, he added, “Because I couldn’t find where I lost my passport, I couldn’t go home to Malaysia and slept at McDonald’s last night.”
He then recounted how the next morning, he met Mr Nathan, who helped him “with various methods to find it.”
“I am extremely happy and surprised by his prompt and efficient action to help me find my lost passport. I really appreciate his good service and am feeling grateful to the SBS officer. I would like to thank him so much,” added the thankful passenger, who simply signed his note to SBS Transit, “Mr M.” /TISG
Read also: SBS Transit receives Friend of Singapore Red Cross Award for supporting vulnerable communities
