Malaysia street sweeper tears up in surprise birthday visit by 4 children, including SIA stewardess

A street sweeper in Malaysia was moved to tears when four of her children showed up in their work uniforms for a birthday surprise.

M. Kavitha, 50, thought she was participating in a street interview about her job as a cleaner in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, but it all was a cover for her adult daughters to surprise her.

The nearly three-minute-long video uploaded to The Chindian Diaries Facebook page on July 11 shows the woman earnestly answering the interviewer while her four daughters stood some distance behind.

When asked what she would do if her children were here right now, she appears confused and says that they are currently working.

The woman is told to look back — and she immediately becomes emotional seeing her children.

In the video, Kavitha is seen smiling through tears as she embraced her daughters, who wished her a happy 50th birthday.

Right before the surprise, she had said that she was grateful all five of her children had good jobs, including as a teacher, nurse, pilot and Singapore Airlines flight attendant. 

They were all dressed in their professional uniforms during their surprise meeting with their mother.

Kavitha's son is working at the same company as she does.

The moment has touched many social media users, who praised the siblings’ gesture to honour their mother’s years of sacrifice.

It was also the first time the siblings had seen their mother cry tears of joy, according to one of the sisters, Bharathi.

"For years, we only saw Amma (mother) cry through life’s difficult moments. This time, we saw her cry because she was genuinely happy," the 34-year-old told the New Straits Times.

@asiaone The siblings spent about a month planning as they don't all live in the same place, with some based in Singapore and Langkawi. #MalaysiaNews #Malaysia #Family ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Bharathi said the idea came from her younger sister, Santhia.

“We knew no material gift could ever repay Amma for everything she has sacrificed," Bharathi was quoted as saying.

Kavitha's four daughters spent about a month planning the surprise, with each person taking on different tasks, according to NST.

These included coordinating schedules, hiring a videographer and making sure their mother was kept in the dark about the birthday surprise.

For Kavitha, the surprise was a reminder that her years of sacrifice had not gone unnoticed.

“I’m grateful because all the hard work and sacrifices I made raising my children felt worthwhile that day. It is one of the most precious memories of my life,” she said.

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com