PHV driver, 39, stays with passengers at Lim Chu Kang cemetery for about 4 hours, helps tend to their relatives' graves while waiting

A Singaporean private-hire driver went the extra mile for his passengers by staying with them while they paid respects at their late elders' graves at a Lim Chu Kang cemetery.

He explained that it might be difficult for the passengers to get a Grab ride out of the cemetery, owing to the location.

While waiting, the driver helped tend to the grave, using a clean towel to wipe and clean the gravestones, which moved the passengers.

Unexpected kindness from a stranger

Speaking to Mothership, the passenger, Noor Rashid bin Haji Musa, 62, shared that he was in Singapore with his son to visit their late elders' graves.

Noor Rashid is Singaporean, but has been living in Brunei for nearly 30 years after marrying a Bruneian.

It was his son's wish to visit his grandparents' resting place before leaving to study abroad, Noor Rashid said.

It has also been "quite some time" since Noor Rashid himself visited, the last time being before the Covid-19 pandemic.

On May 8, they hired a Grab to travel to Pusara Aman Muslim Cemetery in Lim Chu Kang and were picked up by Raymond, the driver.

"Before we got down, he kindly offered to wait for us, saying that it would be difficult to get another Grab ride back from the cemetery," Noor Rashid recounted in a WhatsApp message to friends and family.

"I never expected such kindness from a complete stranger," he told Mothership.

Moved

"At first, I thought he was only going to wait and observe. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, he quietly started helping to clean and wipe my late parents' graves," Noor Rashid said.

In videos shared with Mothership, Raymond could be seen wiping the grave down with a cloth and towel while the passengers prayed.

"It was deeply touching," he commented, adding that both he and his son were "moved" by the act.

What made it even more "special" beyond the fact that Raymond was a "complete stranger" was that he was not a Muslim, Noor Rashid remarked.

"Yet he showed such compassion and respect," he continued.

Noor Rashid shared about the encounter with his friends and family, who were "deeply touched" by the story.

"Some even asked for Raymond's contact so they could engage his services in the future," the 62-year-old said.

Thoughtful

Raymond, who has been a private-hire driver for about 10 years, shared with Mothership that he picked up the passengers at around 9am.

"I decided to wait for the passengers because Pusara Aman is quite far in and I felt it might be difficult for them to get another Grab ride afterwards," he shared.

As he was waiting for Noor Rashid and his son, he became "curious and respectful" about the prayer ritual and decided to observe.

"They were very friendly and welcoming, so I followed them as they paid respects to their loved ones," Raymond said.

On wiping the graves with his own towel, Raymond said that it was "just a spontaneous action from the heart" as he saw the father-son duo cleaning the graves and wanted to "help out respectfully".

In total, the trio spent about three to four hours at the cemetery.

Raymond then sent the father-son duo to their next destination, collecting only the standard Grab fare.

Noor Rashid shared that he typically makes a trip to Singapore only once a year as transportation is "difficult", but he might now make it a quarterly affair after making Raymond's acquaintance.

He added, "[Raymond] touched our hearts deeply, even though we were strangers who had never met before. Now, [he] feels like part of the family, and I hope he will continue joining us whenever we visit my late parents' graves."