Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo the sentiments of In Real Life.
In this heartwarming story, a polytechnic lecturer from Balik Pulau, Penang went out of his way to help an 18-year-old Johor boy locate his missing luggage on his first day at college.
46-year-old Mohd Zaidil Adha Mat Hussein, a lecturer at Polytechnic Balik Pulau’s communications and information technology faculty, shared in a Facebook post how he took it upon himself to help Lim Zi Yang settle into his hostel after finding out the boy was travelling to Penang alone.
“I had received a desperate phone call from Lim’s father,” shared Zaidil. “He humbly asked if his son could check in at the polytechnic’s hostel one night earlier, as bus tickets on registration day were sold out.
“Lim’s father mentioned that he and his wife were underprivileged and didn’t have enough funds to make the trip up to Penang with him,” Zaidil shared.
“I was surprised to hear that, not only had Lim never been to Penang, he had never been on an express bus before. And yet, this boy was brave enough to travel alone for the first time.”
Out of concern, Zaidil put in a request for the polytechnic management to provide an exception for Lim’s early admission to the hostel and went to pick him up at the Balik Pulau bus stop.
“When I arrived, I saw him dressed in a white shirt, black pants, eating some Gardenia bread which he had brought from Batu Pahat.”
Noting the student’s humble background, Zaidil invited him to have breakfast at a local eatery because the cafe is not open today. However, he politely declined, saying he was full.
After the lecturer located Lim, they were about to go shopping for necessities, but then they ran into a potentially monumental snag.
Lim had lost his luggage, but with Zaidil’s help, miraculously found it 40 km away in Seberang Perai.
When Lim went to the toilet to change into a new set of clothes, he realised he had made a huge mistake.
“He came back from the toilet with reddened, tearful eyes and trembling hands, saying that he took the wrong luggage,” recounted Zaidil.
Lim’s luggage bag had held important documents meant for his registration, and losing it meant that he wouldn’t be able to register for classes the next day.
“In the car, Lim told me he had alighted at the wrong station at Penang Sentral on the mainland, because he had heard the bus driver exclaim ‘Penang! Penang! Penang!’ and immediately got off.”
Seeing as it was an emergency, Zaidil brought Lim in his car and drove 20 km to the Sungai Nibong bus terminal, where they were told it was at Penang Sentral terminal, another 20km across the causeway in Seberang Perai.
“Arriving at Penang Sentral, we finally found and swapped the two luggage bags which looked almost identical with the customer representative,” recounted Zaidil.
Zaidil observed Lim’s obedience to his father during the return journey, after seeing him take pictures of the Penang bridge to send to his father and requesting to stop by a Chinese medicine shop to buy drinks and medicine.
“Hence, I see him as an obedient child who is filled with determination to succeed, as he is the only child and the hope of the family,” concluded Zaidil’s Facebook post.
The Facebook post has since gone viral with over 16,000 likes and 6,000 shares.
Many netizens expressed admiration for Zaidil for helping the underprivileged student in his time of need.
In response, Zaidil said he never expected such a wave of support as his intention was only to share his experience. He added that he was thankful for the many positive comments and well wishes.
“Alhamdulillah, there are comments mentioning what I did is what Malaysia needs as it shows the spirit of unity. However, in reality, I help any student in need and will listen to the concerns of their parents without looking at differences in race or religion.”
Malaysians in the comments congratulated Lim on his bravery in making the solo trip to the polytechnic, wishing him success in the future.
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