On Nov 8, 2013, a 20-month old English boy was kidnapped from outside his house, while his mother briefly went inside upon hearing some noises. Fortunately for mother and son, baby Freddie was found 18 hours later in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. This incident occurred in Bangsar, an upscale neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur.
The episode touched a raw nerve, as I remember the time when a similar incident happened to me. When I was just shy of two years old, I became a victim of a near-kidnapping.
My parents and I were in a bank in Old Town part of PJ for some banking transactions; my dad was about to do his Master’s, and was opening an international account, while my mom was in a queue for other matters. My dad and mum were in separate areas within the bank. Being an impetuous and hyperactive kid, (Harith, my son, inherited this part of me), I couldn’t sit still for a minute and loved to wonder about.
Letting go of my mum’s hand, I ran towards the entrance door while my mum wasn’t looking. She assumed that I went towards my dad. My little feet however, brought me outside to the next store, Jalil’s, and right through the back of the store as I heard the familiar ringing of cowbells. The ice cream man was nearby, and I had to find him.
A burly man in his 30s was lingering in proximity, and saw the little kid with no parents in tow. He smelled an opportunity to make a quick buck, and in his devious mind, was thinking that this little kid could be sold off to a neighbouring country for a handsome sum of cash. Whilst others were not looking, I was offered some sweets, and I gladly took them from his bulky hands. If I can’t get ice cream, sweets would do.
He offered his sweaty palm and I held out mine. The walrus of a man grabbed my little fingers and walked me a couple of paces. This event did not go unnoticed; the shopkeeper next door, who sold glass frames and mirrors observed the passage. Keeping his distance, the shopkeeper stealthily followed from behind.
Before the kidnapper could go any further, the shopkeeper snatched my hand, carried me and raced away from him. He would be no match for the walrus man, and ran as quickly as a gale.
Search from shop to shop, street by street
In the bank, after completing her transaction, my mum walked towards my dad, and when she saw I was not with him, immediately broke down. They searched inside and outside the bank. Still I was nowhere to be seen. They decided to drive around the area, and search from shop to shop, street by street. As they scampered towards the Honda Civic, what they saw broke their hearts further. The tyre was flat as a pancake.
My dad decided to take a taxi to the police station, while my mum would stay at the bank in case I wondered back.
I couldn’t speak a word then, I was a late bloomer. Despite his best efforts, the Chinese shopkeeper couldn’t get a word out of me. I was as mute as a mule, innocent as a lamb. He decided to do the next best thing, drive me to the police station, and hand me over to the police to search for my parents.
As the shopkeeper parked his car and was about to enter the police station, with me resting my head on his shoulders, a taxi arrived. My dad darted out of the taxi and said, “Itu anak saya!” And as I saw my dad, the words finally came out of my mouth “Tu Abah!”
My parents were eternally grateful to the shopkeeper. They presented a cake and a thank-you gift for the trouble he took and for saving their son’s life and future. The after-effects though still lingered, my mum continued to be severely affected by the episode, losing spirit and sleep, but as all mothers do, she summed up the strength to continue and be strong for the family.
And I am thankful that there are people out there with a conscience. I would forever be indebted to the kindhearted shopkeeper who had the courage to save a little child’s life. My episode had a happy ending, and I am happy for baby Freddie that he had one, too.
RAJA AHMAD SHAHRIR is a research associate at Institut Rakyat. He tweets at @RajaShahrir and Facebook Raja Ahmad Shahrir.
