Motorist grappling with loss, guilt and disrupted livelihood
PETALING JAYA: A routine airport pick-up turned fatal in seconds, leaving one man dead, a wife injured and a driver haunted by the words he wishes he never had to say. “To the victim’s family, please know I tried my best. I did everything I could to avoid the crash but there was only so much I could do.”
From his hospital bed, e-hailing driver Jailani, 41, spoke with restraint – a man grappling with loss, shock and the weight of a moment he could not undo after a KL International KLIA Terminal 1 and were en route to the Mercu Summer Suites in Kuala Lumpur.
Jailani said they were about 15 minutes from their destination when the crash occurred. He only learnt later, through news reports, that Muzahid was a gaming content creator. Airport (KLIA) journey ended in tragedy on the Maju Expressway (MEX) on April 23.
The crash claimed the life of Bangladeshi tourist and YouTuber Muzahid Millad, 22.
Recalling the journey, Jailani said he barely had the chance to exchange words with Muzahid and his wife, Nafisa Tabassum Adiba, 23, who were on a phone call shortly after entering his vehicle. “I did not really get to speak with the passengers.
I only managed to verify the name and let them get into the car.
After that, they were on the phone until the incident happened.
“The husband spoke for maybe about a minute on the phone, then he passed it back to his wife. She was seated behind me. I am not sure whether she was sleeping.
“They looked tired,” he told theSun in a phone interview.
The couple had just arrived at “I was shocked. When I found out, I felt so much pity for him.
They came here for vacation. They came as two individuals, but only one will return. It is very sad.” Jailani, a former banker who has been driving for Grab since 2018, remains warded but is not in critical condition.
He suffered a minor fracture to his left leg and a stitched wound below his right knee, but clarified that he did not sustain any head injuries.
However, his vehicle was completely destroyed and is now with the police forensic unit, leaving him uncertain about when he could return to work.
“This is my only source of income. When I saw the condition of the car, I did not want to think too far ahead. “I did not want to dwell on negative thoughts.
I told myself to focus on my condition first – getting discharged – then think about how to pick myself back up.” Jailani is the sole breadwinner for his family.
His wife is a homemaker, and they have four children aged 14, 13, eight and four months. He said his immediate concern after being discharged would be the loss of income and the cost of follow up treatment.
He added that he typically earns more than RM300 a day from e-hailing.
He also said Grab had informed him that his hospital expenses could be claimed up to about RM4,000, although he is unsure whether this would be sufficient as the final bill has yet to be determined. Despite the uncertainty, Jailani said he is determined to return to driving.
“If I have the opportunity, I will do it again. As long as I recover, I will drive. I have four children, and I am the only one working.”
On April 23, Muzahid was killed when the e-hailing vehicle he was in collided with another vehicle at Km1.9 of the MEX.
Nafisa was injured and later reportedly discharged from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
The 31-year-old military officer driving the Ford Fiesta has been remanded until April 28 under a Section 302 murder investigation.
Police said the case was initially investigated under Section 44(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
A breathalyser test later showed the suspect had exceeded the permitted alcohol limit.
