KUALA LUMPUR: Every morning, just after dawn, a wiry old man pushes a squeaky trolley through the back alleys and market lanes in the heart of the city.

He’s known as Uncle Lim to neighbourhood hawkers and cleaners, most of whom nod at him as he passes by. His back is slightly hunched, hands calloused, eyes steady but distant.

At 70, his world is made up of collecting cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminium cans, and the weather.

“I just hope it doesn’t rain,” he said.

“Raining means the cardboard will be wet. Cannot sell. Means no money. No cash, no lunch.”

Uncle Lim’s day begins at daybreak. With a slow pace, he moves from bin to bin, alley to alley, collecting anything recyclable – plastic bottles, aluminium cans, cardboard boxes flattened and stacked like fragile gold.

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He doesn’t stop until around 1pm, when he sits down for his one meal of the day – mixed rice, the most affordable food he can find.

He worked most of his life with timber, first as a teenage lumberjack, felling trees deep in the forest, then later as a sawmill labourer.

More than 40 years of gruelling labour has left his body tired, his joints stiff, and his spirit bent, not broken, but weighed down.

Twelve years ago, he could no longer keep up with the physical toll of the timber industry.

With no pension and no safety net, Uncle Lim turned to the streets, collecting recyclables.

He has no family of his own. He sleeps in a small, makeshift room in a relative’s home, paying RM200 a month for shelter and utilities.

When asked how long he plans to keep doing this, he simply shrugged and muttered: “As long as I can walk. What else to do?”

He claimed to have applied for government aid four times, but nothing came through.

On a good day, Uncle Lim earns enough to eat and save a little towards rent. On bad days, he may not eat at all.

“But I don’t think about tomorrow,” he said. “Tomorrow is another rain or shine.”

In another part of the city, it was close to midnight, and a frail Nasir Hamidon quietly collected discarded cardboard from a convenience store in Cheras and loaded them into his beaten-up taxi.

Nasir, 68, has a day job as a taxi driver, but at night, he collects cardboard for extra income.

“Since e-hailing came along, driving a taxi is no longer lucrative. Most rides I get would cost between RM5 and RM10,” he said.

“If I am lucky, I can make RM50 a day. Otherwise, I barely make RM30.

“I am old and not physically able to venture out into the city for long haul rides,” he said.

He said selling cardboard and other recyclables would earn him an extra RM20, depending on what he collects.

“My only son died, and I now have to support my wife and myself. We don’t have savings or a pension to fall back on. We still have to find ways to make enough for rental at a PPR unit,” he said.

“I think I will have to do this until the end of my life, but I hope I outlive my wife because she wouldn’t have the financial resources to make ends meet,” he added.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/national/hav...227693ee2&ei=20

Old , struggling physically, alone and childless…I see many /ktards with this future. Now when still young and strong, sure we thump our chest and condemn marriage and kids.

Bertaubatlah, /k. Quickly go make kids.

I'm pretty sure those chest thumpers will also thump their chest and say they will be brave enough to off themselves than be a burden

Kahx3! Sure boh? Can believe them? Even a needle’s prick will make /ktards run back to mommy.

How did Uncle Lim work for so long but no savings despite having no family? He spent it all? Obviously not on material goods seeing he is struggling in life.

His job is not exactly high paying and there was probably no minimum wage back then

Kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang

Well, introduce bride for sale first.

Is not a matter what men wants but the women to accept that men or not.

Capable men shall be allow to have more wife as he can afford to breed. Women prefer to follow capable men and doesnt mind if they are actually his mistress. As long the money flows, all is good.

This post has been edited by new in IT: Jun 9 2025, 02:55 PM

i think /k will be more like whinny old man staying in bungalow lot.

Are you trying to say that most ktards are alone because no women want them ?

More likely can't afford them.

Hence, pleass take good care of your hands.

A lot of ktard daydream as if they are in control of everything including the future

but reality will set in in the most unexpected way

I have already shared the article that even if you have money, care home don't want you if you have no next of kin to sign off on payment and procedures. You're old and not sound of mind then you are not a reliable paymaster.

kais pagi makan pagi, uncle got skill

Rakyat yg jauh tu lebih penting okay !

I've dealt with old ppl before, it is not as easy as self check-in and dies alone as mentioned by most ktard here who prefer single #yolo and childless

Got kids also no guarantee they will take care of you when you grow old.

I also dont want them la. Visit me already i cool. Me and my wife try to get by as good as we can. our story reaching epilogue liao, they and their children just starting or halfway thru

govt must increase brim

See you at old folks home nigga lmao

I’ll make sure to drop by for a visit. 😁

Got kids at least 50/50 chances.

No kids guarantee 0 chance. Siapa mau jaga lu?

bro im new here,what k/tard mean?

Those who think "anak tu rezeki" would fall flat on their face cos there is no more job security in d future. Anak tu mungkin menganggur n cant even suppprt themselves. Meanwhile u have spent everthing on them bringing them up n left nothing much for yourself. Unless u r rich.

May be set up a trust fund to handle that.

Back in 70s 80s jepunis businessmens come Sabah Sarawak partner with local Todo timber business. Local partner earn millions while simple laborers like uncle lim get kacang putih.

Kesian them. Spend whole lives toiling while taukeys rake it in in the end end up with nothing.

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This post has been edited by MGM: Jun 10 2025, 07:00 AM

This life is so short even a hairs breath does it matter if you live comfortably? " For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but lose his soul. So it is with those who are rich with the goods of this world but are not rich toward God. For the love of money is the root of all evil. And no man can serve 2 masters.. You can't be a servant to God and money at the same time, for you will love one and hate the other ".

Maybe these end up where they are because they eschewed the manner of this world that prioritise greed and wealth. Maybe it was other reasons. So we ought not to look at this from an earthly perspective but an eternal one." Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".

Too poor, my kids will suffer.

Better YOLO myself and end my line. My family next gen already exist

/k for uncles and young people that behave like uncles, where got girl interested.
All who play /k definitely better off than min wage. Not money problem is face and attitudeproblem

This post has been edited by GHBZDK: Jun 10 2025, 08:45 AM