PETALING JAYA: Three total strangers, one Chinese, the other Malay and another Indian, took pity on a dog found standing nervously along the divider of a busy highway, and worked together to help the hapless canine to safety.
The incident unfolded at around 10.30am today along the LDP highway when Anas Saiful Azhar, 36, on his way to Kelana Jaya spotted a Chinese “brother” tending to a dog glued to the spot along the busy highway.
“I stopped my car and decided to help him before an Indian man joined us moments later,” he told FMT.
“The three of us attempted to get the dog to cross to the side of the road, which proved to be very difficult. I think the dog was afraid of the oncoming cars.”
Anas said that initially, they attempted to carry the dog to safety, but the animal resisted and in its nervous state, nipped at the men.
It took an hour to calm the frightened pooch. When the dog had calmed down considerably, it rushed across the highway but reached the other side safe and sound under the watchful eyes of the men, who gestured for motorists to slow down.
When asked what made him stop to help the dog since Muslims consider it unclean to touch the animal, Anas, who is a Grab and Uber driver, said it was a spontaneous reaction on his part.
“In this situation, my only thought was of saving two lives — that of the dog who was trapped along this busy highway; and that of motorists who were passing by. For me that was the most noble thing to do,” Anas said.
“I also liked the fact that we came together, regardless of race, to help save a life,” Anas said of the Chinese and Indian men, who had stopped to help the nervous dog to eventual safety.
A policeman also joined the trio later.
The incident caused a traffic crawl of up to 5km.