Republic’s Early Birds

MORNING WALK: Mr Wang Kwang Heng, cleaner, eats breakfast in the south canteen. Mr Wang walks to school every morning, from Marsiling, because there is no bus service. He reaches an hour early before his shift starts at 7am. PHOTO: Nur Khalisa
DAILY COMMUTE: 19-year-old Thiviya Saravanam, leaves house at 4am daily to catch an early bus across the causeway to avoid traffic. The Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) student reaches school at 6am to do her assignments and watch TV shows before class starts at 8am. PHOTO: Nur Khalisa
ROUNDS AROUND RP: Security Guard, Yamuna Devi, has been working in Republic Polytechnic for 2 years. She works the night shift from 8pm to 8am, 6 days a week, to earn money for her husband and two children. PHOTO: Nur Khalisa
THE MENTOR: Supervisor of the halal south Western Food stall, Yati Nisen, usually starts her shift at 11am. But she is in school waiting to teach her new worker how to cook before the first shift starts at 6am. PHOTO: Nur Khalisa
WE ARE FAMILY: South’s Nasi Padang stall is a family business owned by Ms Zaiton Salim. She walks to RP and reaches 6am everyday to start cooking while her brother, Mr Fandi Abdullah shops for groceries before starting his shift. PHOTO: Nur Khalisa
READY TO SERVE: By 7am, South Canteen’s Nasi Padang stall is filled with 10 different dishes ready to be served to the breakfast crowd of lecturers. While three workers are preparing four more dishes in their kitchen. PHOTO: Nur Khalisa
BOND OVER BREAKFAST: Year One Diploma in Mobile Software Development students, Siti Nur Sabrina (left) and Nur Kazzah Loyang takes the shuttle bus from Tampines to have breakfast in school at 7am, while they wait for class which starts at 9.15am. The pair has been friends since secondary school. PHOTO: Nur Khalisa