Extracted from ST Forum, 20 June 2006
MY FAMILY and I had a bad experience while holidaying in A'Famosa,
Malacca.
I had walked to the carpark to collect my car and my mother, sister
and children were waiting at the resort's lobby porch when a car
sped along the porch and nearly hit two of the children, aged seven
and 10. My son, 16, and mother, 63, gestured at the driver to
indicate that he should not be speeding.
The driver jammed the brakes, got out of the car and shoved my
mother, causing her to lose her balance but luckily my son managed
to stop her from falling.
The driver called my mother uncivilised and said that while in
Malaysia Singaporeans must also respect the royal family, to which
he claimed to belong.
Hotel employees came on the scene and advised my mother to
apologise but she refused as we had not done anything wrong.
When my mother told the driver that he should drive slowly when
there were many people around, he threatened to have her arrested
for being rude to a member of the royal family.
The valet who witnessed the incident kept insisting that my mother
apologise. When she refused, a few members of the hotel staff
apologised on our behalf.
The driver then walked off, shouting explicit words in Malay at my
mother and son.
When I learnt about the incident, I asked the hotel staff why they
apologised on our behalf.
They said that we should never mess with the royal family and we
should quickly leave the place.
Taufik Abdullah
