Trauma of a child trapped in locked MPV

KUALA LUMPUR: A young boy was crying and desperately calling out for his mother from inside a locked multi purpose vehicle at a parking lot in front of Hospital Fatimah, Ipoh, Perak.

MCA Public Service and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong got to personally witness the trauma of the trapped child last Saturday – something he thought would not happen as such cases had hit the headlines time and again.

He was having breakfast at a shop near the hospital that day when he saw people and firemen surrounding the black MPV.

From inside the car, they could see the boy was sweating profusely, said Chong. The engine of the car was switched off and he could have been inside the car for more than half an hour.

He added if not for the passers-by, the boy might have suffered the same fate as other children who died after being trapped in vehicles.

Fire and Rescue Department team leader, Samsuddin Buki, could not break the window as he feared shattering the glass might harm the boy.

He patiently coaxed the boy to slowly unlock the car door. After about five minutes, the boy complied and he was rescued.

Chong said the mother looked nervous as she came back soon after her child was rescued.

“The mother held the child briefly and then walked away after thanking the rescue team.

“But I could tell that she was embarrassed with herself,” he said.

In an unrelated matter, Chong highlighted a plight of baker Lee Wa Cheng, 55, from Taman Kinrara, Puchong whose children were allegedly taken away by his Indonesian wife.

Married in 2004 through a matchmaking agency, he said Lee paid RM21,000 to the agency to get married to Nawaty Ng, 36.

Chong said Lee had lodged a police report on Aug 16 over the disappearance of his wife and children – three days after he came back from work to an empty house.

“The wife was also not answering his calls,” he said, adding that Lee was begging for the wife to return their children to him.

Chong said Lee wanted at least the children, Lee Shi Ying, nine, and Shi Wen, four, to be returned to him.

“He said the wife could go back to Indonesia if she wants to. He only wants the children back because they are Malaysians,” explained Chong.

“According to the Immigration Department, the wife and children are still in the country,” he added.

Anyone with information, please contact Wisma MCA at 03-2203 3888 or 016-371 6003 (Lee) or call the nearest police station.