Their honesty goes beyond words.

Thinking she would never see her jewellery again, a woman in Tasek Gelugor in Penang had given up all hope after she accidentally threw her jewellery pouch away.

Rohaya Ismail, 31, who is attached to the Teluk Air Tawar police station accidently threw away the pouch along with her four-month-old son’s used pampers.

She collected the jewellery when she started working at the age of 18 while others were gifts for her wedding.

“I told myself to brace for the worse. I thought I would never see the jewellery again. Although heart broken, I accepted the fact,” she said

However, she was speechless when her valuables were later returned by Seberang Prai City Council (MBSP) workers.

“When I got a call from a MBSP officer several hours later that they had found my jewellery pouch after rummaging through piles of garbage bags, I was elated. I was beyond words. I did not expect the 10 cleaning workers to go through the mountains of garbage just to help me look for my jewellery.

“I am grateful to each and every one of the ‘wira oren’ (reference to MBSP cleaning workers). Although their job (as cleaning workers) is often looked down by some, but to me, they are the real unsung heroes. What they did is honourable and I salute them for their honesty,” she told the New Straits Times.

Rohaya, who is more fondly known as Yaya shared her ordeal on her Facebook page yesterday, with netizens praising the wira oren. Her post received more than 400 likes and shared nearly 50 times.

She recalled that she threw away the jewellery pouch with her son’s used pampers in the dustbin at home (police quarters) about 10am on Saturday.

She said when she realised it and went to check the dustbin yesterday morning, the garbage had been emptied.

Coincidentally, her brother emptied the bin and threw the garbage into the common garbage bin below the quarters before it was picked up by the garbage truck about 7.45am yesterday.

“When I told my brother about it, he went looking and stumbled upon a garbage truck behind the quarters. He told them the story. He was then told to go to the cleaning depot in Tasek Gelugor here.

“I was moved beyond words that the wira oren actually rummaged through the mountains of garbage bags just to help me look for my lost items. They spent their time and energy just to help me. Their honesty and sacrifices …. I am very touched,” she added.

Rohaya said to show her appreciation, she deposited some money for the 10 cleaning workers for their sacrifices.