KUALA LUMPUR: For almost a month, a woman tried to find an older man who helped her when her car broke down on a highway.
Thanks to her social media posting going viral, 25-year-old Siti Aishah Shauqina Wahidi managed to track down the man, Ang Ngee Seng, and the latter could not hide her happiness at being able to do so.
"I am touched and truly appreciate 'uncle's' help, and I am grateful to have met him. Thank you, uncle, for being willing to help and drive my car when I was at a loss," she said.
Recalling the incident, Siti Aishah Shauqina said her car broke down about 6pm on the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Highway (SUKE) on July 24.
She was at a loss as to what to do, but Ang stopped to help her.
Siti Aishah Shauqina said she did not have the time to exchange phone numbers, so she started a quest to find Ang by posting on TikTok.
"My post caught people's attention, and many helped, which eventually led me to finding uncle on Aug 22. I wanted to treat uncle to a meal as a token of appreciation for his willingness to help me at that time.
"Once I got uncle's phone number, I sent him a message, but he didn't respond. It wasn't until the second week that uncle finally replied after I showed him the news about it.
"Uncle said he thought I was a scammer. I am grateful that I finally got to meet uncle," she told Harian Metro.
During their meeting, they talked a lot about the day of the incident, and the man mentioned that the help he offered was sincere.
Siti Aishah Shauqina said Ang also mentioned that he suddenly became "popular" after the story went viral, and some media outlets wanted to interview him, but he politely declined.
"Many people who commented on TikTok knew uncle and said that he is indeed a kind person who likes to help anyone. For me, uncle is very kind because he was willing to drive my broken-down car.
"Imagine uncle driving my car with a stiff brake pedal, controlling the car only with the handbrake, while I drove uncle's car.
"After that, he advised me to sit in front of the car because it is safer than sitting in the back. His advice was like that of a father.
"After 10 minutes, my brother and mother arrived. If uncle hadn't helped me, I would have had to wait for assistance from the highway authorities, and the location was not suitable because it was a dangerous curve and there were many vehicles since it was rush hour," she said.
The private sector employee said that her sharing on TikTok was not for attention, but rather an effort to find Ang.
She thanked everyone online who helped track down the man.
"This story also shows that help can be offered regardless of race, as long as we have sympathy and empathy. These two elements must be instilled within us, and with that, we will help anyone in need," she said.