A frequent well-loved visitor to Pulau Ubin has passed away at 80 years old.
Pulau Ubin's very own postman, Haji Haron bin Jomahat died in the wee hours of the morning on Feb. 16, 2021.
This was shared on Facebook by Wan's Ubin Journal, a blogger who documents life on the offshore island.
Screenshot from The New Paper / YouTube
Knew Ubin like the back of his hands
Uncle Haron, as the postman was known, was a familiar face to Ubin residents.
For the past 20 years, he would travel between mainland Singapore and Ubin via the bumboat to deliver letters and parcels.
He had been to Ubin so many times that he knew it like the back of his hands where the residents stay.
In a 2014 interview with The New Paper, Uncle Haron shared that although his job as a postman might seem simple enough, it was at times complicated by several factors.
As the bumboats to Pulau Ubin only operate when there are 12 passengers at the ferry, there were times when Uncle Haron had to wait up to one-and-a-half hours for the boat.
Screenshot from The New Paper / YouTube
Rainy days are an issue as well.
The stairs going up to the Pulau Ubin jetty can be slippery during inclement weather.
Screenshot from The New Paper / YouTube
Certain Ubin residents' houses are also located deep in the island.
Although Uncle Haron rides a motorbike to deliver the items, he has to traverse muddy and unpaved paths through the forests to reach some houses.
Screenshot from The New Paper / YouTube
However, Uncle Haron shared that he enjoys his job as he "like[s] kampungs", and grew up in one.
RIP Uncle Haron.
Screenshot from The New Paper / YouTube
You can read the full Facebook post here.