KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — A deaf and mute six-year-old Indonesian boy was commended for rescuing a group of Malaysians during a recent earthquake in Lombok island.
Bernama reported that the boy, Taufik, acted as a guide for tourists at the Tiu Kelep and Sendang Gila waterfalls in the Indonesian island.
“If not for him, I and six others would have sustained serious injuries that could have been tragic. More (of us) could have shared the fate of our two Malaysian friends who were killed in the catastrophe,” Malaysian survivor Wong Siew Lim was quoted saying.
Wong reportedly said Taufik had helped her and some others move towards the exit during the 5.8 magnitude earthquake on March 17, while the boy’s older cousin Tomy Al Bayan ran towards the others in the group.
“My friends and I followed Taufik towards the exit, while Tomy was still in the waterfall area when the second quake occurred. Taufik had turned to see a huge rock hitting Tomy and my two friends,” Wong was quoted saying, referring to Sin Chew Daily deputy executive editor-in-chief Datin Tai Siew Kim and Lim Sai Wah who died in the tragedy.
Malaysia’s Global Peace Mission reportedly said it would help Taufik get a hearing aid as a token of appreciation.
“GPM Malaysia intends to make Taufik a ‘little hero’ and through GPM Malaysia (Indonesia) we will make sure Taufik gets medical treatment.
“The courage shown by Taufik does not match his age. He has risked his own life by showing compassion, concern and responsibility towards his customers making sure they were taken away from the disaster area,” GPM Malaysia chief operating officer Syahrir Azfar Saleh was quoted saying.
