Haunted by baby elephant's death, Malaysian lorry driver shares anguish: ‘my heart aches'
killed a baby elephant on a dark mountain road in
Malaysia last month has spoken of the anguish and guilt he continues to carry.
Advertisement
'It weighs heavily on me. Each time I pass by the road, my heart aches,' said the driver, who wished to be identified only as Azhar.
Azhar was behind the wheel in the early hours of May 11, travelling along the East–West Highway in Perak when the fatal accident occurred.
The male calf was pinned beneath the lorry. In a heart-wrenching scene that left many Malaysians in tears, the calf's mother repeatedly charged the lorry in a desperate attempt to free her young, then stood vigil beside the vehicle for nearly five hours.
'When I think about the baby elephant, I feel really sad. I will not forget the moment,' he said, recounting his experience that night.
Advertisement
A seasoned driver from Kedah, Azhar has transported chickens from Penang to a slaughterhouse in Kota Baru for the past two years, using the same forest-lined route almost daily. His days typically begin at 4.30pm, when he collects poultry from farms, before setting off on the long overnight drive by 8pm.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Ex-Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri's family hit by scandal as former son-in-law declared bankrupt
The bankruptcy of high-profile fashion designer Jovian Mandagie, the former son-in-law of Malaysia 's ex-prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob , has brought renewed attention to the growing scandals surrounding the former leader's family. Jovian, once a household name in Malaysian and Indonesian fashion circles, was declared bankrupt by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday for failing to repay a US$1.25 million loan to an engineering firm. The court ruling comes amid ongoing investigations by anti-corruption authorities into Ismail Sabri over alleged embezzlement of public funds during his time in office. Now 39, Jovian gained local prominence in part through his marriage to Ismail Sabri's daughter, Nina. The couple divorced in August 2023, less than a year after Ismail Sabri stepped down from office following a brief 15-month tenure. The loan dispute stems from a verbal agreement with Cekap Air Sdn Bhd, which described the money as a 'friendly loan' given informally due to personal ties. The company told the court that it initially had no reason to question Jovian's credibility, considering he owned several businesses. But his financial woes had already surfaced in other arenas. Another firm had previously sued him for failing to pay around 5 million ringgit (US$1.18 million) for branded face masks produced during the Covid-19 pandemic , as he had attempted to shift his apparel label toward the production of personal protective equipment.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Malaysian police link Ipoh murder to international gang amid surge in public shootings
Malaysian police believe a man gunned down in his Ipoh home last week was the victim of an international organised crime syndicate, marking the latest in a string of unresolved gang-related assassinations in public places that left five people dead and shocked the country last month. Gun violence is rare in Malaysia, where unlicensed gun ownership and even brandishing a firearm as intimidation are capital crimes. But a series of shootings over 12 days in June has sparked public fear - as three of the four incidents occurred at a restaurant, a shopping centre and in traffic in Klang Valley, Malaysia's most affluent region encompassing Kuala Lumpur and industrialised areas of neighbouring Selangor. In the latest case in Ipoh, about an hour north of Kuala Lumpur, the 57-year-old man was found dead in his home on June 24 with gunshot and knife wounds to his chest and abdomen. Police initially pinned the killing on his 31-year-old son, who discovered the body. Police officers at the scene of the shooting in Klang on June 20. Photos: Facebook/Meru Klang Resident Official Perak state police chief Noor Hisam Nordin later said investigations revealed the murder was linked to a major organised crime syndicate with international ties. 'There is a possibility that the victim himself was involved in the syndicate,' Noor Hisam told local media. 'The police investigation will involve Aseanapol and Interpol.'
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
150 live goats found, Hong Kong resident arrested in illegal slaughterhouse bust
A 51-year-old Hong Kong resident has been arrested for operating an illegal slaughterhouse in Yuen Long, where 150 live goats were discovered on a site with 'extremely poor hygiene'. Authorities said the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, in a joint operation with police on Thursday, raided a secluded, enclosed plot of land spanning Ngan Kam Road in the New Territories, following a tip-off that someone was selling mutton online and was suspected of illegally slaughtering goats for sale. 'The involved location was secluded, with an area of about 6,000 square meters (64,583 sq ft), and around 150 live goats were reared within it,' said Senior Health Inspector Juliana Ng Wing-in. She added that the site was found with 'extremely poor hygiene and rudimentary equipment, and that there were no qualified professionals present to inspect the livestock.' Ng said during the raid, officers found activities consistent with illegal slaughtering and the sale of mutton, and believed the goats were bred from within the premises. Around 52kg (114lbs) of mutton and offal of unknown origin, with an estimated market value of HK$30,000 (US$3,821), was seized and destroyed. An additional 10kg of suspected illegally slaughtered mutton and offal was sealed for further investigation.
