A British tourist’s visit to Malaysia took an unexpected turn after a minor parking dispute led to his passport being confiscated, leaving him stranded in the country for weeks.
Ahmed Hadi, who had traveled to Penang with his family, claims he found himself in legal trouble after leaving a parking lot without paying a RM7 fee due to a malfunctioning payment system.
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Speaking to Express UK, he shared his frustration over the incident, which has left him unable to leave Malaysia.
On December 7 last year, Ahmed parked his car for 10 minutes and attempted to pay the RM7 fee.
However, he said the payment machine rejected both of his cards.
“There was no other way out. It was quite annoying and ridiculous. I was gentle with the barrier, but it just caved in like paper,” he said, explaining that he lifted the plastic barrier to exit the parking lot after seeking help from parking officials for 10 minutes with no solution.
Days later, Ahmed was contacted by the police, questioned, and subsequently arrested.
His lawyer negotiated a settlement with the parking company, and his wife, Lucy, paid nearly £2,425.41 (approximately RM13,600) for his release, which included bail sponsors and legal fees.
Despite this, Ahmed remains stuck in Malaysia, as his passport was seized by the court as part of his bail conditions.
“The whole thing was ridiculous from the start. I was willing to pay, but they couldn’t take the money and wouldn’t let me out. I thought we’d sorted everything out, but I still don’t have my passport or any idea when or if I’ll get it back,” he said.
Ahmed, who is due back in court on February 17, said the experience has changed his perception of the country.
He described Malaysia as “a hellhole with no human rights.”
Speaking of his time in detention, he said: “The conditions were awful in the cells - 50 people sharing one toilet. One of the police threatened to beat me up.”
“We think Britain is broken, but this makes you realise how good we have it. This country is a rip-off, and you’re not free,” he remarked, adding that he had thought of moving to Malaysia with his family but has since abandoned the idea.
“We considered living here before this, but there’s no way - it’s inhumane. When I was arrested, nobody read me my rights. I was moved to a different cell every day. Lucy had no idea where I was or what was happening,” he said.
His wife, Lucy (what’s her last name?), echoed his sentiments, stating, “Ahmed is British but also from Kuwait, so they just kept saying, ‘He’s a rich man.’”
She further criticised the country’s legal system, stating, “It’s basically a police state – there’s no freedom of speech. They just arrest you for anything, and they do it to make money.”
