KUANTAN - Retired teacher Napisah Muhammad recounted a harrowing carjacking experience at a petrol station here on Monday.
Napisah, 68, who was in the front passenger seat, was left shaken but uninjured after the suspect released her a short distance away.
The car, belonging to her son, was later recovered thanks to police efforts.
"This incident has been an experience for me and serves as a lesson for others to be more cautious.
"If possible, lock the doors or turn off the engine to avoid such cases," she told Sinar today.
Recounting the incident, Napisah, who resides in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, said she was in the front passenger seat after dropping off her grandchild at Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Kuantan and was on her way back to Kuala Lumpur.
She said her daughter, Norhalina Mohamed, 38, and her husband, Mohamed Halim, 77, got out of the vehicle at the gas station.
The man then got in and demanded that she remain silent before driving off with the vehicle.
"The man suddenly got in and sat next to me (in the driver's seat). At that moment, I tried to escape, but he grabbed me.
"He grabbed my shoulder while shouting 'Kau diam' (stay quiet)
"I tried to get out and dropped my bag, but at that moment, he sped off with the car.
"I saw my child chasing the car," she recounted.
The mother of three reported that the man held her shoulder to prevent her from jumping out of the car.
Fearing being taken further away, Napisah continued to struggle to get out of the car while the door was open before the suspect slowed down near some shops not far from the petrol station.
"When we reached the main road, he took a left turn and drove into the shop premises on the left side. After that, the man said, 'You want to get out, then get out,' and slowed the car before pushing me out," she added, noting that she was not injured during the incident.
Napisah expressed her gratitude to all parties involved, including the police, for helping to resolve the case.
"It is understood that the man has been caught. Alhamdulillah, we might get the car back soon.
"This is all thanks to everyone's prayers," she said.
The incident, which occurred at 3.10pm on Tuesday, involved Napiah, her daughter, and her son-in-law stopping at a petrol station.
Kuantan district police chief Assistant Commissioner Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu said the estimated loss suffered by the car owner, a 38-year-old accountant, was around RM94,000.
The incident also drew public attention when a 55-second closed-circuit television (CCTV) video recording of the incident went viral on WhatsApp.