God’s Deliverance of a Foolish and Naïve Christian dealing from Gangsters in Almost a Kidnap Case

On 31 August 2005, my son’s birthday (Merdeka boy), I was doing a software project for my good friend Ben (MCL’s boss), he came to my house with his wife and children to debug (check) the software, till around dinner time, the wife and children got restless and they wanted to go back, so I offered them to go for dinner together, Ben suggested to have quick one as the wife got something on, when I got into my car, and started driving, I felt sorry for my son, so I stop my car near Perling II, at the junction to a no through road, and let Ben pulled his car alongside my Singapore Mazda 323, so that I can talk to him to change to a better place for my son’s sake….
Suddenly a car came right behind Ben’s car and horned long and loud, we were shocked, for the road is wide and hardly any car, and there was more than 2 car space for cars to pass by, my friend was not in good mood by then and came out to quarrel with people in other car, the car was driven by an Indian lady with her husband sitting on passenger seat, they shouted at each other… and I heard the Indian man shouting “… you think you Singaporean big ah…?” He thought we are Singaporean.

I asked Ben to cool down and drove off, we went to a chicken rice shop, then I saw the Indian’s car followed and passed us, so I told Ben to change the place, and we went to another Coffee shop for Bak-Kut-Teh, after a short while, one Malay guy came and approach us, asking if we had a quarrel with his friend, I told them that was small problem and explained to him what happen that guy seem very matured and cool, he said he will help to settle the case for us, ask us to wait and he will get his friend to come and we will shake hand then the case is settled.

After a while we finished eating, Ben decided to leave with the family. normally I am quite careful, and would not easily trust people, however, I became very foolish and naïve that time, I said I will stay back, wait for the Indian guy to come and settle with him, as I realized since they can tracked us to the other restaurant in such a short time, they must have a big gang in Perling, as both friend Ben and I are in business and don’t want to have problem after that, I decided to stay and settle the problem for Ben, as I and Ben are like good friends partially, and being a Christian, I knew that Jesus, who called us friends, sacrifice Himself for us, I should also do something for Ben, somehow being really naïve, I stayed back and with my kids.

After waited for some times, still no sign of the India driver, I asked the Malay guy again, he told me to stay back, and he told me 3 or 4 cars had already followed Ben back to Johor Jaya. I called Ben and he confirmed that some cars were following him, and he had reached home, as he stayed in the gated area, those cars can’t follow him to his house, I then sensed the seriousness of the problem, I told him he may have to come back and settle it. I start calling some of my Church friends, asking them if they have any police friend, and told them about what happened, they told me they don’t have, and they were worry about me, I told them to pray for me. I was still very optimistic, that I can handle the problem and sort it out with them. But at the same time, I also knew that I should send my kids away, I start calling my own brother, asking them to take my kids home, my brother asked if I am ok, I told them ok, and ask him to come and take my kids home.

While waiting, my Church friends called me a few times and ask if I am ok, again, I told them to pray for me. My brother came to the coffee shop, I led him to my car to hand over my kids to him, when I reached my car, my kids were praying for me in the car, and my brother took them away.

I went back to the Malay guy, sat with him, while he was drinking beer, after a while he received a call, then he suggested I follow him to his Skudai, foolishly, I agreed and even to go into his car and follow him to Skudai, I got into his car and go with him.

On the way to Skudai in the Malay guy’s car, calls from my Church friends keep coming in, actually 2 of them my Church friend already make their way to Skudai, they were celebrating another Church friend’s Birthday. At the same time I was talking to the Malay guy and found that he seem very sensible and mature, we even exchange phone number. My Church friends keep calling me at interval of every few minutes, asking my location and, keep asking how I was, I keep telling them not to worry, and asked them just pray for me. I also notice that the Malay guy had many incoming and outgoing phone calls, he stopped in a shell station, made call, after that continue.

At the roadside on Pontian road toward Pulai Spring, he stopped again and made call, then he got into the car, suddenly he told me: “Actually… we have plans to bash you up ….. but I decide to let you go, I will send you to a bus stand and wait for your friend to pick you up”, he actually U-turned back and send me to a bus stand in front of Skudai Parade. Only then I realized how dangerous it was, and how naive and foolish I was to follow him in his car… But God can turn the worse situation around if we trust him, with so many people pray for me, He turned a gangster’s heart, to send me back, even company till my friends came to pick me up.

When I got into my Church friends car, they suggested that I make a police report and send me to Tampoi Police Station, went I arrived they, it was almost midnight, there were 6 other Church friends already waited for me in the police station, I was so touched. Not just that, after making the report together with my friend Ben, they even insisted to exchanged car with me to avoid me being track again and risked their own lives, and the other couple escorted me back to my home, I was really touched by their love for me, only then I realized how much these Christian brothers and sisters loved me.

Now after few years as a Christian and learnt that, it is because of Jesus first loved them, and the Christian are just sharing their love with others, I realized I was wrong last time to run away whenever people try to share about Jesus to me, and even scold them, actually brothers and sisters, now I realized that they get nothing other than Joy of being able to share knowledge about Jesus and Bible with others, and only now, I realized that they are so much teaching about how to handle relationship, relationship with parents, with spouse, with children and employee and employer, friends and relatives and so on… and my life is much more meaningful now. Of course I still sin like any other Christian brothers and sister, still have many bad habits and characters to improve, but I knew now being Christian does not mean you will change 180 degrees overnight, but it is gradual process of change my old-self to a new-self with God’s help, so don’t compare me with you, you are a better person, but I am better today than I was few years back …

kt

Poor Malaysian

Are we poor? Most likely for those of you who are able to view this blog will say no...

But we are poor, we are poor in spirit, poor in moral, poor in love, poor in friendship, poor in unity and poor in $..

Some may say no, but generally, I think we are,..

Poor in Unity:
After many years of independance, why are we still talking about, Bumiputra, Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian? Why are we not Just Malaysian??


Poor in Spirit:
Do we have the spirit to say that we are Malaysia, if you hold your heart and be truthful to yourself, how many of us can truely say that "I love Malaysia"???


Poor in Moral:
We kill, we rape, we robbed, we are even proud of all these sins, sins of steeling, sins of in moral acts like, adultery, gossiping, running away from tax... and lots more..


Poor in Love:
Ask ourselves, how many of us can really say we love our parents(may be, but some may be for their $), we love our spouse(may be, but some may be just for some selfish gain/ temporary reasons), we love our children(may be, but for some is just for what we want our children to be), we love our neighbours (hardly), our country men (hardly)... our government (how to), our king , our Leaders (can we)?


Friendship:
How many have a real friend that is willing to suffer with you? go thought with you in your hard time? when you are poor?

Poor in $:
We were once top producer of rubber, tin, oil palm, and we have export oil even, we have cheap labour, but look at our neighbour who has no natural resources, their $ is now almost as high as USD compare to 20 years ago, we were equal, when oil pricce went up, for the most uncall for reason our Hydro powered electricity bill also went up, not forgetting each and every new house built in Malaysia we paid a few hundred RM as deposit, this money is deposited till you move away from malaysia. But when the oil price went down... we are still paying the same raised electricity bill... how are we not poor in $

I belived it is only in God, trusting that He sent His only Son Jesus, to die for us on the cross and still asked the Father (God) to forgive those who nailed Him on the cross... that we will be able.

By all the human effort, it is not possible, for who can say they have no selfish gain in doing good, to the least, men will want glory for themselves... even as I write this, I may have some hidden agenda to for my ownself....

But if each of us is willing to compromise, improve bit by bit, we will have a better tomorrow, don't wait and take too long though....