HARI RAYA is a time when Malaysian roads turn into a test of patience, with balik kampung traffic stretching journeys that normally take minutes into ordeals that take hours.
But when one young husband found himself stuck in that very traffic with a wife about to give birth, a group of strangers on motorcycles did something that has left him emotional to this day.
Did six bikers really escort a woman in labour through Hari Raya traffic to get her to hospital in time?
Verdict:
TRUE
Six motorcyclists formed a spontaneous escort for a man rushing his wife to hospital through heavy Hari Raya traffic in Negeri Sembilan on the third day of Aidilfitri, helping the couple cover 30km in under half an hour.
Muhamad Syafiq Abdullah, 25, told Sinar Harian that the incident occurred after he had just arrived at his in-laws' home in Chembong, Rembau at around 8.30pm and was still unloading his belongings when his wife told him she was in labour.
"I immediately got back into the car to take my wife to Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar in Seremban, but I started to worry when I saw how congested the roads were," he said.
He said he drove in a panic with his hazard lights on, repeatedly attempting to overtake other vehicles but finding it difficult given the heavy traffic in both directions.
The situation changed when a motorcyclist began following his car and then moved ahead to clear a path through the traffic.
"I wound down my window and shouted that my wife was about to give birth. Without hesitation, he immediately helped clear the way," he said.
Five more motorcyclists then joined in, with four of them escorting the couple all the way to the hospital.
A driver of a four-wheel-drive vehicle also pitched in, sounding his horn to help clear the road ahead.
Muhamad Syafiq and his wife arrived safely at the hospital at around 8.50pm, having completed the 30-kilometre journey in under half an hour.
He said he managed to embrace and thank the first motorcyclist who had come to their aid before rushing inside.
"I did not get to say much to him because I had to quickly go in to accompany my wife in the delivery room," he said.
"Alhamdulillah, my second daughter was safely delivered by my wife Auni Balqis Mohd Izan, 24, through a normal delivery at 9.12pm," he said.
He said that despite the harrowing experience, he was grateful that so many strangers had been moved to help.
"If not for them, with the terrible traffic conditions, the journey to the hospital might have taken two hours.
"I am truly touched. They were people I did not know at all, yet they were willing to escort me all the way to the hospital. Thank you to all the brothers who helped me," he said.
He added that the experience was made all the more meaningful for having occurred during Aidilfitri, proving that the spirit of caring and helping one another was still very much alive among Malaysians.
"If not for them, this story might have been very different. This is truly a Raya experience I will never forget," he said.
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