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Motorcyclists, affectionately nicknamed “abang motor” (motorcycle bro) often get a bad reputation in Malaysia for being dangerous, weaving in and out of traffic without regard to personal safety.
Besides those mat rempit who give motorcyclists a bad rap, what most Malaysians don’t realize is how the humble abang motor is often the one who will go above and beyond to help a Malaysian road user in trouble.
Here are 5 reasons why your friendly neighborhood abang motor are actually one of the kindest Malaysians:
1. Abang motor are the first to help when your car or motor breaks down.
Image via MyCrimeWatch on Twitter.
Abang motor are often the first to respond during a road accident. They will stop by the roadside and help pull victims from the wreckage, call an ambulance, and flag other road users away.
Meanwhile, car users usually are the ones who slow down to watch, coast by idly, or opportunistically note down the car’s number plate to use for 4D numbers.
While there are also many car users who do go above and beyond to lend a helping hand, good Samaritans, more often than not, tend to be motorcyclists.
“Maybe not being in a personal enclosed space makes it more difficult to ignore people in need,” remarked Subhash, editor of automobile website Drive Safe and Fast.
Perhaps being a motorcyclist makes one keenly aware of the dangers of the road. As such, they feel a deeper sense of responsibility to help other road victims.
After all, a victim of a road accident could very well have been them.
2. Abang motor will remove road debris such as tires and glass pieces
Image via Rojak Daily
In this video taken from Twitter account @My_CrimeWatch, a motorcycle user stops by the highway to remove a burst tire that was laying on the road.
At one point, the abang motor was standing in between lanes waiting for cars to drive past. It was observed that none of the car users slowed down to give him time to remove the heavy tire, which made his selfless act particularly dangerous.
It is ironic that this man risked his own life to prevent harm to others, while the same courtesy was not given to him by the car users.
Image via The Rakyat Post
In another incident, a mirror had fallen on the highway between Shah Alam and Puchong, and a motorcyclist named Muhd Rizan stopped by the roadside to help pick up the pieces, as reported by The Rakyat Post.
These are just two examples, but abang motor have also been known to remove other debris from the road, such as dead animals, roadkill, and fallen branches.
3. Abang motor will push your motorcycle to the repair shop in a triangle formation
Image via Ebidmotor
There’s a certain practice that motorcyclists do in Malaysia that is rarely seen in Western countries.
A trio of them will be riding closely in formation, all three motorcycles touching, with two riders holding firmly on to the one in the middle, while focusing on the road.
Firdaus, a motorcyclist, shared how this happened to him. One day, his engine started smoking in the middle of the Karak highway. After he stopped in the emergency lane, two complete strangers stopped by the road.
“Pada mulanya saya syak mereka sebenarnya perompak. Alhamdulilah, mereka bantu bawak motorsikal saya ke pekan sebelah.”
(“At first, I was worried they were actually robbers. Alhamdulilah, they helped bring my motorcycle to the nearest town,” he shared.)
“Saya benar-benar bersyukur kepada Pak Hasan dan Pak Leman. Saya tak ada duit nak panggil trak tunda, jadi mereka mengiring motosikal saya dengan selamat sambil naiki motor ke kedai motor.”
(“I’m truly grateful to Mr. Hasan and Mr. Leman. I didn’t have money to call for a tow truck, so they put my motorbike in between theirs, held on tightly, and pulled me safely to a repair shop.”)
While not exactly legal or safe, it speaks to the willingness of complete strangers to help a motorcyclist in need, at great personal risk to their own safety.
4. Abang motor will help bring you to your convocation during a traffic jam
Image via Gempak.
What happens when you’re late for your graduation ceremony, but you’re stuck in a jam that extends all the way across the Penang bridge?
For 28 year old Kevin A/L Rayappan, he was stuck on the Penang bridge due to a fatal accident that occurred earlier that morning.
Kevin had woken at 6.30am to attend his convocation, but he couldn’t have anticipated the jam that would happen that day.
Luckily, a kind abang motor took pity on him and let him hitch a ride all the way to USM, in the north part of Penang island.
The man dropped Kevin off just in time for his convocation, and immediately rode off without expecting anything in return. Kevin didn’t even get a chance to ask him for his name.
Now that’s everyday heroism from a complete stranger.
5. Abang motor will help chase down kidnappers in broad daylight
Police released this photograph taken by a member of the public of the businessman being dragged into a white vehicle. Image via Facebook.
In one particularly high-speed chase, a 38-year old man was kidnapped in a white Toyota Vellfire.
Seeing the commotion, several abang motor gave chase, honking their horns along the way to raise the alarm
As they passed by other road users, they yelled without taking their eyes off the car, “someone has been kidnapped in that car! Call the police!”
The motorcyclists chased the kidnappers, yelling at the driver to stop. The car drove to the Sungai Besi toll, where the motorcycles surrounded it and managed to get the car to stop.
However, it ran over the motorcycles and escaped. Luckily, no one was seriously injured.
According to a report by FMT, the victim was released by his kidnappers 5 hours after the incident. He then arrived at Ampang Jaya police station at 10.45pm to lodge a report.
Without the help of the abang motor as key witnesses to the crime, it was very likely that the man would have vanished without a trace.
When driving, watch out for our abang motor and help them when they’re in need
Image via Paultan.org.
While most news articles cover the mat rempits of motorists, it is not often reported that these reckless riders are a minority.
Instead, more praise should be given to the abang motor who go above and beyond the call of duty to make Malaysian roads a safer place for all road users.
In Real Life wishes for all Malaysians to be considerate on the road and to look out for the well-being of one another.
Let’s all drive responsibly so that all Malaysians including our abang motor can have a happy and safe reunion with our loved ones.
Do you have a personal story to share? Email us at hello@inreallife.my
For more articles on motorists, read: https://inreallife.my/not-another-funny-story-malaysians-still-arent-taking-drink-driving-seriously/ and https://inreallife.my/a-malaysian-debate-car-drivers-vs-motorcyclists-what-the-hll-is-wrong-with-you/
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