Summer was great and suddenly I feel like sharing one of the loads experiences in Malaysia.

 

I went to a clinic about a few weeks after my arrival to bring my youngest brother who was suffering conjunctivitis. We had to wait until 5 pm to get the best doctor in town, Dr Shamser. Anyway, the doctor diagnosed my brother for about 5 minutes or so and then started to chat with me asking how I’ve been doing and so forth after years being away from the country. After a few minutes of warming up chat, all of a sudden he burst on few concrete, serious and critical topics. He said if I were to come back to Malaysia after graduation, I have to make sure that I will offer something back to the country, otherwise just stay in the U.S. I didn’t really understand what was his hidden intension in saying so.

 

He then explained that he just came back from Langkawi a few days back. Slowly I could sense that he was frustrated with something but I could not think of anything that would have any relation with the awesome Langkawi!. So I focused with much intensity. My forehead started to fold in as if I was cracking my brain to solve a further mathematics problem. He frowned a while and the situation got into my nerves.

 

Dr Shamser is an Indian-Punjab guy of late 50ties and is well known for his friendliness and charm towards his patient. He serves accurate and honest consultancies. Having a thick long grey beard apparently gives him an indefinite wise feature. His looks often remind me of one great historic inventor, Alexander Graham Bell.

 

Then the story began. Dr Shamser flew from Langkawi to KLIA in a three-quarter polo shorts, a nike sneakers, a Langkawi T-shirt, and a very tourist-like cap. A journey from KLIA to Kajang would normally take about 40-50 minutes and the taxi fare is RM 66.00 fixed rate. Throughout his vast experience on out-of-station seminars and trips, this rate has remained the same for quite some time, he further told. Like a second nature to him, he bought the taxi ticket from the designated counter at the airport and went to the assigned taxi.

 

After loading everything in the Limo-taxi, he went straight in the car and gave the receipt to the taxi driver. The driver turn his head around and gave him a very innocent naïve look and said that he doesn’t know where Kajang is!. Kajang is apparently one of the oldest town in Selangor and moreover he is a Limo-taxi driver in KLIA!. Dr Shamser just kept quiet and said its fine as he will show the way to the destination. Despite such patience from Dr Shamser, the driver refused to drive him and demanded more money. For Dr Shamser it is not about how much he has to top up for the taxi fare as he is indisputably rich, but it concerns the business ethic that the driver lacks. Dr Shamser then defended himself saying that he has paid the amount earlier on as required over the counter. He then left the car and intended to get another taxi.

 

While unloading his luggage, Dr Shamser overheard the taxi driver making some phone calls saying “Ada orang ni kurang ajar dengan aku….”. Dr Shamser realized that he was threatened. He just kept quiet and headed to another taxi located a distance away. The taxi driver then shouted, “ Tengokla nanti..Singh!”..

 

When I asked him why didn’t he report this to the police? He said,” Jazlan, even the Mongolian murder’s trial is unjust, even the former Deputy Prime Minister’s prosecution is highly in doubt, and I am just a tiny bit of this corrupt country.”

 

Selamat menyambut Tahun Melawat Malaysia and hari kemerdekaan yang ke 50.