Tragic Terengganu accident underlines fact that Malaysians are bound by basic humanity, not racial traits

 

AT A time when racist rhetoric is reaching fever pitch, it has taken a tragic accident in Kuala Terengganu to remind ordinary Malaysians of the ties that bind.

The fatal incident occurred on Tuesday (May 19) at Jalan Losong Feri when a father and son were driving into Kuala Terengganu for wiring work errands.

A VW Golf GTI from the opposite direction purportedly driven at high speed veered out of control and hit a TNB pole which then crashed into the van carrying the victim, Wah Han Keong, 18, and his father, Wah Tee Tun, 49.

The former who was a brilliant pupil had his head severed from the impact of flying TNB pole and was pronounced dead at the scene.

There are a number of reasons that this particular accident has hit a raw nerve among Malaysians.

Firstly, it had to do with eye-witness account from trader Norharizan Hassan who ran a stall near the scene of the accident. The 48-year-old witness said she braved herself to cover up the victim’s head, imagining if it was her own child.

Infographic of accident courtesy of Utusan Malaysia

“At the time of the incident, I didn’t think about anything else, I considered the deceased as my own son, that’s why I dared to close his severed head,” she told Sinar Harian.

To many Malaysians, the tragic moment underlined it mattered little that the deceased was Chinese and the lady who sought to give his body some dignity was a Malay Muslim. She was merely doing the right thing.

Secondly, the Nasi Ganja trader known as Kak Jane has also shown that there are stronger ties among Malaysians than what rightist faction suggest.

Displaying a strong sense of empathy, she had made clear her intention of visiting the funeral home to offer moral support to the victim’s kin during this trying time. She urged others to visit the funeral home and help share the emotional burden of the bereaved.

“It is the humane thing to do,” she declared.

What is even more touching is her breaking cultural and religious barrier by asking her brethren “to donate condolence money to the deceased’s family as Chinese funeral is known to be expensive”.

Towards this end, Kak Jane also updated post-visit to the funeral home that she had obtained the QR Code of the father. It was heart-warming to see Malaysians from all walks of life rally to the cause on her FB feed.

Alas, amid all the good gestures and reassuring humanity among Malaysians, there had to be reminder from Kak Jane for commenters from making remarks with racial undertones.

“This is not a  political issue . . . This is not a race issue . . . this is basic humanity,” she quipped. “We’re all humans with big souls who help each other regardless of race.”

That sentiment was shared by a more than a few observers. One noted that “right is right” and “wrong is wrong” and that neither had to do with race given it was a Malay man behind the wheel of the red VW.

Another labelled those who sought to play up racial issues in road mishaps as “uneducated netizens”.

It is a timely reminder that beneath all the ugly noise about what supposedly divides us, there are decent human beings able to rise above the racist din. Unfortunately, it has taken a young man’s life to remind Malaysians of what matters most. –  Focus Malaysia