KUANTAN: Retiree Napisah Muhammad put on a brave front and attempted to fight back while being taken on a terrifying ride following a carjacking incident at a petrol station in Semambu, near here, yesterday.
The 68-year-old was carjacked by a lone suspect after her daughter left the Honda City's engine running.
The mother of two endured a 400m ride before the suspect dropped her off along the road shoulder and sped off.
Napisah, a retired teacher, said the daring daylight car theft happened within seconds after she stepped into the vehicle about 3.10pm after returning from the restroom.
"My husband had gone to the restroom and barely seconds after my daughter stepped out of the driver's seat towards the toilet, a stranger entered. He held my shoulder tight and kept on saying 'kau diam' (keep quiet).
"I knew something was not right and opened my door. I screamed for help and managed to throw my handbag on the floor outside the car. As the man drove off, I did not close my door and attempted to jump out of the moving vehicle.
"I put up a struggle and tried to jump out of the moving car when one of my slippers dropped on the road.
"When the man realised that I was turning aggressive, he slowed down the car and pushed me out shouting 'kau nak keluar, kau berambus' (you want to go out, you get lost)... before stepping out, I managed to grab my daughter's handbag," she said when contacted today.
Napisah, who was travelling with her 77-year-old husband and 38-year-old daughter, said several motorists who realised something amiss had been honking non-stop asking the man to stop and one of them even gave chase for a while, but the man managed to sped away.
Napisah said when the man drove off from the petrol station, she kept calling out for her daughter Norharlina Mohamed, who had attempted to chase the car on foot.
"When the man dropped me by the roadside, my daughter came to my aid. I am a little shaken by the entire incident and I was informed that the man was not alone during the incident.
"I believe that the man had been watching our movements since my family arrived at the premises and my daughter even crossed paths with him when she was walking towards the toilet.
"The incident serves as a reminder to my family and others to always press the car central lock when seated inside the vehicle. Such incidents can happen anywhere so it is best to be a little extra careful especially those with young children," she said, adding that she was relieved to escape unhurt in the incident.
Napisah, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, said they had just dropped her grandson at the Mara Junior College (MRSM) here and had stopped at the petrol station to refuel before travelling home.
"Each time we travel here to send my grandson to the MRSM, we will stop at the same petrol station. It will usually be our last stop before entering the highway," she said.
Meanwhile Napisah said the man had discarded most of their belongings kept inside the car at various locations including near Sungai Isap here.
"Our bags, clothes and door gifts that we received at a 'kenduri' event yesterday were found strewn by the road side near Taman Cempaka and Sungai Isap. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the stolen car will be found soon," she said, adding they were currently staying with a relative here.
In the 3.10pm incident yesterday, the man who arrived at a petrol station on a stolen motorcycle coolly drove off with a red Honda City with Napisah seated inside.