THE words “you deserved it” from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah brought a smile to R. Yogeswary, a security guard at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh.
The Agong conveyed the message personally to Yogeswary, 44, after she received the Pingat Pangkuan Negara during the investiture ceremony at Istana Negara today.
Lost for words, Yogeswary said she could only repeatedly say “thank you” to the Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimumah Iskandariah while meeting them briefly after the ceremony.
“I never thought that I would be able to set foot in Istana Negara and meet the king and queen in person, what more when the palace officials told me that the king himself wanted to see me for a while and take a picture together,” she said, tearfully recounting the beautiful moment.
Yogeswary was among 298 recipients at the ceremony, held in conjunction with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s birthday. Earlier, a video of her courteousness in helping patients and visitors at the hospital had gone viral on social media.
The security guard said she willingly helped visitors and patients at the hospital even though it did not come under her job scope, adding that the medal she received today had energised her to continue assisting the needy.
“At the hospital, many patients seek treatment; they are in a sad state, as are their family members; that’s why I always want to provide good treatment because that’s the least I can do for them.
“I will not stop helping the community; as long as I am healthy, and have energy, I will do my best to help people,” she said.
The youngest of five siblings who hailed from Gerik also expressed appreciation to her family, employer, and the public for their continuous support.
Yogeswary, who previously manned security at the hospital’s Women, Children and Cardiology Complex, had been stationed at the Day Care Complex for the past six months.
Her acts of kindness at the hospital recently received widespread praise and gained the attention of former health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who praised the woman’s actions in a Facebook post.
Yogeswary helped visitors and patients in various ways including lifting things for them, controlling traffic at the parking lot, calming anxious patients, and congratulating new mothers.
Congratulatory messages for Yogeswary are pouring in on social media.
“Hopefully, others will follow her trait of being kind to others,” wrote Instagram user lala_walid. – Bernama, December 19, 2023.
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