Ms Darasiah Bte Md Ali was going about her usual morning routine on the morning of 9th July when she received a call from the police that her father, Mr Md Ali Bin Yakeen Shah, had met with an accident on his way back from the mosque. Lost and overwhelmed with panic, Ms Darasiah rushed to the hospital. It was there that she met MSG Harinderjit Singh, from the SAF Shooting Contingent, Motorised Infantry Training Institute (MTI). MSG Harin was a fellow road user who extended his help when the accident happened.

“I was on my way to send my daughter to school at around 6am. When I passed by the major traffic junction along Upper Changi Road and Jalan Eunos, I saw a man lying on the floor motionless with a bicycle a few metres behind. I immediately pulled over to the side of the road and as I got nearer to the man to assess his condition, I noticed that there was a huge pool of blood next to his head,” said MSG Harin as he recalled the incident.

Immediately, MSG Harin provided an improvised first aid to Mr Md Ali’s head wound, enlisted the help of 3 bystanders to call the police and ambulance, and managed the traffic at the junction as well. Describing how he was able to deal with the situation calmly, MSG Harin said, “Our Army training requires us to deal with various forms of operations. It prepares us to cope well in all kinds of situations.”

Understanding that this would be a difficult time for the family, MSG Harin continued to remain in contact with Mr Md Ali’s family and extends his assistance to them. Ms Darasiah recalled, “Back in the hospital, I was the first to reach the A&E. Knowing I was lost and in a panicked state, MSG Harin helped me throughout the registration process, and accompanied me until my fellow family members arrived.” MSG Harin also takes time out from his personal schedule and visits Mr Md Ali in the hospital regularly.

The family of Mr Md Ali is extremely grateful to all the help that MSG Harin had offered and could only imagine the worst if not for the heroic act from him, “We would like to convey our gratitude towards MSG Harin. A thousand thanks will never be enough to reciprocate the help he extended to my dad. He deserves recognition for his kind deed that not any stranger would do for another stranger.”

Truly, we should never underestimate the impact we can have on the lives of others. Helping an individual might not change the world, but it could very well change the individual’s world.

Written By: PTE Goh Gen Sheng

Photography By: LCP Cyril Tang