'I can't bear to let her be on her own': Ex-civil servant becomes food delivery rider to get more time with child

This mum gave up regular hours of an office job for flexible hours of gig work so she could spend more time with her daughter.

Melissa Sailla quit her civil service job and has been working as a food delivery rider since 2020, reported Berita Harian on Wednesday (July 17).

She only works while her daughter, 15, is in school or sleeping, Melissa told the Malay daily.

"I am very close to my daughter, and I cannot bear to let her be on her own after school," she said.

Growing up with divorced parents herself, Melissa said that she did not want her daughter to have the same experience she did.

"It was really sad, and we were exposed to a lot of risks. If you are not careful, you can go astray," she explained.

"I don't want [my daughter] to mingle freely, I want to protect her."

Melissa also shared that she installed a CCTV camera in her home for her daughter's safety.

The mother and daughter pair live in a one-room rental flat in southwest Singapore while Melissa's husband, whom she married last year, lives in Johor Bahru.

They only see each other during weekends and when they have spare time, reported Berita Harian.

Melissa also highlighted that she was grateful for her immediate neighbours, who help keep an eye on her flat when she's out working.

"Chinese, Indian, Malay... We live harmoniously and help one another," she said.

"My neighbours even make sure I do not miss out on activities such as food aid distributions."

'Singing makes me happy'

In her free time, Melissa sings at events or busks at Johor Bahru and has even produced three singles in collaboration with local composers Bob Ghazali and Yazri Malik, reported The New Paper.

"Singing makes me happy, it relieves stress," she said.

When asked why she did not try to promote herself as a singer, Miss Melissa told Berita Harian that it is not easy to do so without management.

"If you want management, there's a lot of capital involved. I was a single mother for a long time before my second marriage, so my focus was my child," she explained.

"But if someone wants to invite me to sing, I'm happy to do it as long as my child is not neglected."

ALSO READ: 'Salute to you': Netizens hail mother who delivers food with 2 young kids in trolley cart

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com