MERSING: Perikatan Nasional candidate for Tenggaroh Muhamad Amerul put his campaign rounds on hold to help an injured motorcyclist after witnessing an accident near Pengkalan Batu.
Muhamad Amerul said the incident happened on Thursday (July 9) after he had completed a walkabout at Taman Nelayan and was about to stop for a drink at a nearby stall.
He said the accident, involving a trailer lorry and a motorcycle, occurred at a traffic light junction.
“When people rushed out, I initially thought they were going towards the driver. But when I went closer, I saw a man under the lorry with his motorcycle,” he said when contacted.
Amerul, who is a lieutenant with the Civil Defence Force, said he contacted the Mersing Civil Defence Force for ambulance assistance and told members of the public not to move the victim.
“We did not remove the helmet of the victim and did not move him because we were worried there could be neck or internal injuries,” he said.
He said the victim was conscious but had breathing difficulty and complained of pain on the left side of his body.
When the ambulance arrived, Amerul said the helmet of the victim was removed safely and a cervical collar was put on before he was placed on a stretcher and taken to Hospital Mersing.
The victim was later sent to Johor Baru for a computed tomography (CT) scan and has since been allowed to return home.
Amerul said his response was based on his experience with the Civil Defence Force, where he has served for almost 16 years.
“I also teach basic medical response to the public, so I responded based on my experience and knowledge,” he said.
He advised the public not to move accident victims unless they had the proper training.
“If you come across an accident, do not simply move the victim. We do not know whether the person has internal or external injuries," he said.
He added that it is best to wait for help from medical personnel or the relevant authorities.
Amerul also reminded voters travelling home to cast their ballots to be careful on the road, check their polling channels and bring their MyKad.
The Johor state election is seeing 172 candidates contesting for 56 state seats, with polling set for Saturday (July 11).
