For 25-year-old Mohamad Zulfithri Mohd Johari, his father’s occupation has never been a source of embarrassment. Instead, he sees the years his father spent working as a cleaner as a testament to his dedication and sacrifice for the family.
Zulfithri said he has always been proud to tell others that his 51-year-old father, Mohd Johari Shafie, works as a cleaner.
“Since I was young until now, I have never felt ashamed. In fact, I’m proud to tell people about my father’s job because it is an honourable one,” he told Harian Metro.
The young graduate recently caught attention after sharing photos from his graduation ceremony on TikTok, showing himself alongside his parents, Hasmawati Abdul Hamid, 50, and his father. The post also served as a birthday tribute to his father and an expression of gratitude for everything he had done for the family.
Mohd Johari has worked as a cleaner at the Gunung Semanggol Rest and Service Area in Perak for the past 25 years and continues to hold the job today. To supplement the family’s income, he also took on side jobs, including changing motorcycle tyres.
Zulfithri recalled that his father would collect aluminium cans to earn extra money and, when the family faced financial difficulties, would sometimes request salary advances from his employer. As a child, Zulfithri would also accompany his father to work and watch him clean the rest and service area.
His father’s message to study hard because both parents had not been given the same educational opportunities remained firmly in Zulfithri’s mind throughout his studies.
As the eldest child, he was aware of the hopes his family had placed on him. Although he felt he had few achievements to make his parents proud during his school years, his journey changed after he entered Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM).
During his time at USIM, Zulfithri served as president of the university’s Students’ Representative Council and had the opportunity to travel to countries including Türkiye and South Korea.
He eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in New Media Communication with Honours and received a leadership award during the university’s 23rd convocation. For him, walking across the stage while his parents watched was an especially meaningful moment.
Zulfithri has since entered the workforce and is currently serving as an executive officer under the Ministry of Higher Education. Having started earning his own income, he now hopes to repay his parents for their years of sacrifice.
He said his father had only ever owned a motorcycle, prompting him to buy a car after securing a job so he could take his parents out more comfortably.
His long-term ambition is to provide his family with an even better life and, if given the opportunity, take his parents to the Holy Land. Despite not living a luxurious lifestyle, Zulfithri said he remains grateful that his family has enough.
Looking back, he hopes his experience will remind others that there is no shame in the work their parents do, as long as it is honest and meaningful.
For Zulfithri, his father’s job as a cleaner represents far more than an occupation. It reflects 25 years of hard work and sacrifice that helped give him the opportunity to pursue higher education and build a future of his own.
