TNB phantoms spark hope in Gurney Drive
The Third Force
A young Malay girl was injured early this morning when her motorcycle hit the side mirror of a slow moving car at Persiaran Gurney on the island state of Penang.
The girl, seemingly in her twenties, was flung several feet from the point of impact and landed on the single carriageway not too far away from the Millennium Tower condominium.
Within seconds of impact, several witnesses from a nearby cafe rushed to the scene, advising the victim to await the ambulance and to stay put. What disappointed me was the fact that the ambulance arrived almost half an hour after a call for assistance had been placed by several customers at the cafe.
The 1.45am incident attracted a fair crowd comprising the usual mix of ‘experts’, curious onlookers and well intentioned individuals seeking to be of assistance. But it was the selfless act of two young Malay chaps that restored my hope in humanity and the fact that towering Malays aren’t just those who excel in business or in their profession – they’re beyond that.
Young and in their twenties, the two were plying the carriageway in a Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) vehicle that slowed down as it passed the accident scene. The four-wheel drive came to a stop a metre away from the victim before the two chaps alighted from the vehicle and headed straight towards the crowd. What they did next brought a tear to my eye.
One of the gentlemen stood several feet away from the girl and quietly monitored the situation while the other stood beside him and used what looked like an electrician’s torchlight to guide traffic away from the victim and the onlookers. The crowd stood oblivious to their presence and neither was the duo out to attract attention – I could see clearly they meant to ensure the safety of all those who were present there.
As a police van approached the scene almost half an hour later, the two headed back to their vehicle and drove away. I stood gazing at the emptiness that was once the spot their vehicle was parked and realised that they had drifted into the darkness like phantoms of the night.
I cried writing this report, because today, I found out what towering Malays looks like. Believe me, they’re out there, and early this morning, they came in the form of two angels in a TNB vehicle to spark a glimmer of hope in my life.
