A World of Paranoia

The recent robbery has turned me into a paranoid nut.

It was dusk and I was driving along a lonely street in a residential area. I looked into the rear mirror and saw a motorcyclist behind me. He picked up speed and began to overtake me. My brain sent out a red alert and steered my body into fight or flight position.

As the motorcyclist passed me, he glanced at me. Then, he stopped at the side of the road. I hit the panic button. I stepped on the accelerator and swerved my car to the middle of the road. As I passed him, our eyes met. He had a strange look in his face. Then, he turned and walked into the house.

Goodness gracious, he lives there??!! If he does, my bizarre behaviour must have shocked him as much as he had scared the daylights out of me.

I remember a very different time when paranoia was not in my vocabulary. I was in secondary school. After every volleyball practice, I would ride the bus home. When I got off the bus, it would be past 8pm. I had to walk past a dark sawmill with logs piled up high on both sides of the road. Wearing my T-shirt and shorts, I had always reached home safely.

Sadly, today, children do not have the freedom to do what I had done without facing danger or even death. They can’t even walk to the crowded and brightly-lit night market without the fear of being abducted, abused, tortured and murdered.

Yes, the world has changed. But, has it changed for the better? In today’s world of scientific magic and technological wizardry, are we better off?

If I could live my life again, I don’t want to go into space or walk on the moon. What I want to do is to ride the bus, walk past a dark sawmill and reach home in one piece.

A friend in need is a friend indeed

It takes two bloody robbers to make me feel how blessed I am.

When I reached Menara Great Eastern in Jalan Ampang, the complex security senior officer offered his help instantly. He was kind and sympathetic. He assigned his men to keep an eye on my car and instructed a lady officer to accompany me to the 6th floor.

Thank you, sir! I will post his name later. In my confused state of mind, I forgot to get his name. (He is security supervisor MR M ELANGOVAN). I also wish to thank the lady officer who comforted me all the way in the lift. Terima kasih, puan! (She is security officer PUAN SHAKDAH OTHMAN).

When I reached the 6th floor, I'm grateful to my friends in Toastmasters International for helping me to clean my wounds and getting me plasters. Where did the plasters come from? They appeared like magic!

In particular I wish to thank Division Governor Mr Azmi Shahrin, Area Governor Mr Paul Tan, my Club President Ms Sandy Tan and the lovely lady Ms Jane who got me the plasters.

I thank God for blessing me with kind people in my hour of need.

I almost have a heart attack when the robbers attack

Yesterday, Saturday 15 March, I was robbed along Jalan Ampang, Selangor, while driving in my LOCKED car.

I took the slip road from MRR2 Expressway to Jalan Ampang heading towards Great Eastern Mall. Traffic on the slip road is usually slow because vehicles queue up to get into the main road of Jalan Ampang.

All of a sudden, I noticed a guy racing towards the passenger side of my car. The next instant, there was one big EXPLOSION.

The glass window on the front passenger side was smashed and splinters flew all over my car. The criminal grabbed my handbag which was on the passenger seat, then ran towards a waiting motorcycle. In a flash, they were gone.

The explosion left me in a state of shock. When I came to my senses, I found I was bleeding from my left hand and left leg. My heart pounded so violently I thought I might collapse.

Robbers in the Klang Valley must be really desperate to resort to such violent measures.

Please alert your families and friends, especially the ladies.

Damn it, I can't seem to get the explosion out of my head!