KUALA LUMPUR: It was a true Malaysian Family on display when temple devotees celebrating Thaipusam helped a pregnant Malay woman deliver her child opposite the Sri Subramaniam Batu Caves Hindu temple after she went into labour in her car early yesterday.
The Hindu devotees, both men and women who were walking towards the temple, turned around and rushed to the Malay woman’s aid on hearing her cries for help.
Seeing she was in open view of the public, the devotees took their sarees and veshthis they had with them and held it around the woman’s vehicle to give her privacy.
Several women then assisted her in safely delivering her baby girl witnessed by her stunned husband who was in the driver’s seat.
A female devotee even helped snip off the umbilical cord with a knife after the child was delivered.
The couple’s names were unavailable but they are believed to be in their 30’s.
Earlier, the heavily-pregnant Malay woman is believed to have developed labour pain earlier and was being driven to a hospital by her husband when she went into labour at about 7.20am.
Her husband then pulled over their four-wheel-drive pick-up truck under a flyover in front of the temple.
Journalist L.K. Savantharaja, 45, of Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai who was covering news of the Thaipusam celebration at the time and witnessed the event told theSun that he was taken aback when he heard screams for help coming from the car.
He said he and several devotees rushed over to aid the woman who was in the front passenger seat of the pick-up truck.
“It happened so fast. The devotees were really fast to respond. They quickly held up the vesthis and sarees to ensure the pregnant mother is comfortable before she delivered a baby girl. Once again, Malaysians came together to help each other regardless of race and religion.
It was a touching moment that made me so happy and brought tears to my eyes.” Savantharaja who is better known as L.K. Raj said.
He said about two minutes after the baby girl was delivered, an ambulance arrived the scene and checked on both mother and child.
Savantharaja said after paramedics gave the couple the all-clear for both mother and her newborn, they resumed their journey in their pick-up truck to a hospital with the ambulance trailing them.
Videos and photographs of the event taken by Savantharaja and other bystanders went viral in the social media today, earning praises from netizens who applauded the devotees for their quick action and kindness.
In a video taken by the journalist, the couple thanked everyone who had helped them and wished them “Happy Thaipusam”.
You can watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/1385550059/videos/pcb.10228219566419435/269982971736030
