Friday, June 17, 2011

First Story: The Road from Kuantan to Sg Lembing/Highway

By: Cicit Hj Mohamad Perak

In November 2008, family and I went to Kuantan. We stayed at Bukit Kuantan, my uncle’s house for 2 nights. (Unrealized that while we travelled on road near Bentong, our car was caught ‘speeding’ by the police hidden camera). On the second day we had travelled to Telok Chempedak and Cherating. Found that, nothing amazing at the two spots compared to our previous visit two years back.

What disappointed me most is the road from Sg Lembing to Kuantan which still under repaired. On June 8, 2011, we nearly lost our lives due to the condition of the road during the heavy rain hit our car. It happened after we had bought keropok lekor and had dinner at Tg Lumpur.

On the way back to Bukit Kuantan we had travelled along the road around 8.00 pm. We could not see the road properly. The rain came straight from front made my sight invisible. Suddenly we heard several loudest noises under our car. The car seemed had knocked hard objects underneath. Then I saw the car had made way to the other side of the road by crossing the dividers which in the mist was a long drain. Quickly I turned left which made the car crossed again the dividers. However, it came to standstill because the rear right tyre was hanging at the right divider.

I tried to drive to the left lane, but failed. That time really very heavy downpour. We could not see anything except the vehicles’ lamps. I passed my regret to my wife why should not she advise me to stop at the roadside earlier; hence we could not face the mishap. She mused that the road side also could not been seen clearly, how to suggest to stop!

I pressed my car's emergency lamps so that vehicles at the back could notice us. An idea came to my mind if I could call my uncle at Bukit Kuantan to help. But did not call because later to my thinking of what and how he could help us?

I prayed hardly to Allah swt to do something to help us. Anytime the vehicles at the back could knock us where at the rear seat were my three daughters; Siti Nur Yasmin, Siti Nur Zulaikha and Siti Nur Zuyyin. At the front seat were; my wife, Siti Nur Qaisara and me. I saw a lot of buses and lorries moved at the back and travelled besides our car at a few inches width.

Unconsciously, I gave signal to a car which stopped at traffic light few meters in front of us. Within seconds the driver came out. I went out and pleaded him to push my car forward so that could it get over the dividers. Then, I pressed the pedal; he tried to push, however still failed. While talking to him then my body began to shivering of too cold hit by the downpour. Suddenly, appeared a Chinese man from right of the road came towards us. Both of them tried to push, still failed. Then an Indian man came from the left side of the road whom was the worker of the road on repair. This time the Chinese man advised me to drive more forward from leaning too much to the left. I followed his order, successful. After the car had moving I drove it towards to the left and stopped to thank them. However, I could not see them anymore, all had suddenly disappeared. I felt regretted of unable to thank them very much of the assistance. However, I prayed to God to bless them always. We felt like already going to die then to be lived again. I later told my wife, they might not ordinary persons but the ‘malaikats’ (Allah’s angels). Might be.

We continued our way to my uncle’s house Mohd Noor Kulop Hasnan then at Bukit Kuantan. I told my daughter not to tell the mishap to him to avoid him from nagging unnecessarily that night.

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