Hong Kong Pakistani father works all hours to benefit his next generation
Asif Mahmood has two jobs, including one overnight, which earn him HK$18,000 a month, which he admits is not enough
Many of Hong Kong’s Pakistani and Indian citizens came to Hong Kong during British colonial times, while many of the Nepalese first arrived in the city as Gurkha soldiers in the British army.
In the early days, men came to the city to work, leaving their families in their home countries. Children of those first generations, such as Pakistani Asif Mahmood, followed in their father’s footsteps, also moving to Hong Kong in search of work.
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Mahmood, 49, has held down two jobs since he was 15 years old and is the sole breadwinner for his family of five.
His experience mirrors that of his father, who was the only worker in his family of six, earning a living as a security guard and factory worker.
Mahmood’s day starts at 11.30pm and ends at 7.30am. Then he gets to his second job at 9.30am, staying until 5.30pm. The night-time job is for six days a week, while the day-time one is for five.
He earns a combined HK$18,000 a month, significantly lower than the median monthly household income for a family of six of HK$37,600. Families of six with a monthly income of HK$18,800 or below are considered poor, according to the government’s latest poverty report, which uses 2014 statistics.
The father of three didn’t want to reveal his jobs for fear his bosses would find out.
“It’s not enough [money], but there’s nothing I can do,” he said. “My wife is very frugal.”
However, working long hours without enough sleep has taken a toll on him. Mahmood recently had heart surgery and was warned by his doctor to rest more.
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He speaks fluent Cantonese picked up from co-workers, but can neither read nor write Chinese.
The family lives in public housing and pays HK$2,300 in rent as well as close to HK$3,000 for utilities and rates.
“Much of the money left over is used on the children. You have the school expenses, the travel expenses and sometimes a bit of pocket money for them to spend,” he said. “It’s not fair to deprive them of such things.”
The Mahmood family hopes that life will get better for their third generation in Hong Kong.
Their eldest son, Waqas, 23, is set to graduate this year with a degree in electronic and communication engineering from City University.
Mahmood hopes to stay off any government welfare for as long as possible.
When asked about support for ethnic minorities, he answered without hesitation: “Better job opportunities. For us and for our children.”
