‘I would do it again’: Heroic neighbour who braved fire to save sleeping toddler and mother recognised for bravery

Hailed as a hero for saving his neighbours, Low (left) receives a certificate of appreciation and a fire extinguisher from Nazry.

By Nancy Nais

KUCHING, Jan 18: After seeing smoke coming out from his neighbour’s home, Low Lian Khin from Kampung Cina in Siburan raced over to see what was going on.

To his dismay, Low, 62, realised that a fire had broken out. The realisation spurred him into action without thinking further.

“I was on my way back to my house after returning from the shops nearby at about 8am. Upon seeing the smoke, I rushed over and without thinking nor screaming, I opened the door and entered the house.

“There was so much smoke overhead near the ceiling. There was no one in the living room, so I ran to the bedroom and found the toddler with her mother still soundly asleep and not knowing what was happening.

“My instinct said to save the toddler first. So I grabbed the little child, rushed out of the house and passed her to my wife. Then I re-entered the house to wake the mother up. There was more smoke but I managed to wake her up and we rushed out,” Low told DayakDaily when met at his house today.

He said he could not re-enter the house for the third time to save more things because the flame was getting bigger and the roof had started to collapse.

Low, who works as an undertaker at a nearby cemetery, said the decision to help his neighbour wasn’t something he gave a lot of thought to.

“I just acted without any feelings. Probably not the best idea, but I would hate to see the fire and know I didn’t do anything and worse, if somebody died,” he added.

While the cause of the Jan 7 fire is yet to be determined, Low believed it started from one of the bedrooms located behind the house.

Siburan fire station chief PPgB Nazry Mohamat said the house, which measured 86 square meters was razed to the ground.

They received the emergency call at 8.18am and mobilised a team of firefighters to the scene.

Today, Low received a letter of appreciation from Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Malaysia, Sarawak for his brave act.

Nazry, who presented the certificate and a fire extinguisher to Low said the latter had shown a exemplary unselfish act, concern and alertness for his neighbourhood. — DayakDaily