Flight MH653, with 93 passengers and 7 crew members was enroute from Penang to Subang airport on 4th December 1977 when the pilot, Captain G K Ganjoor radioed that while at altitude of 4,000 feet over Batu Arang, Selangor, the plane has been hijacked. No further details were known while all preparations were made to securely land the plane at Subang however, the Captain radioed again to say that the flight has now been re-directed to Singapore, presumably by the hijacker. Flight MH653 never reached Singapore. While flying over Tanjung Kupang in Johor it reportedly hit the ground at vertical angle and not only there were no survivors but no bodies were collected intact.
Among the notable people on board were Malaysian Agricultural Minister, Dato’ Ali Haji Ahmad; Public Works Department Head, Dato’ Mahfuz Khalid; and Cuban Ambassador to Japan, Mario Garcia plus a notable professor from University Sains Malaysia - Prof Puvan.
1977 was still in early industrialization period in Malaysia and communication was comparatively primitive in comparison to these times. As part of the body and plane parts recovery process, Telecom Department workers were deployed to remove the human flesh stuck to telecom lines. Some who returned recounted grim stories of how they had to use their hands to remove those flesh.
But nothing beats the two tales that were recounted by firstly, an oil tanker driver and secondly, a taxi driver. It is noteworthy here that the remains of the departed were buried at Kebun Bunga, in Johor Bharu, some distance from the crash site.
In the first story, the driver who lived to recount the story was driving his oil tanker from some location in Pahang back to Singapore when he had to drive past Tanjung Kupang. Those days, there were almost no highways, so the best bet were trunk roads or more known as village roads. His gut feel did say that perhaps he should drive back in the morning, but since he wanted to reach home in Singapore soonest, he has driven that night itself. Around midnight he passed Tanjung Kupang and felt very relieved that nothing untoward happened. However, as soon as he passed the crash area, he saw a man flag him down. Since the crash site was way behind him, the driver stopped the tanker, wondering what help the man needed. And yeah, he needed big help.
The tanker driver leaned out of his window and had enquired what that man wanted and why was he standing at a place out of no where at that time of the night. That man replied that he usually stood about a couple of kilometres back but no one wanted to stop, so he moved further up. The tanker driver's hair at the back of his neck started rising and he didn't quite feel good about the whole situation, however, keeping his composure he asked if the man required any help. To which the man replied that he and his friends needed a lift into town, to Kebun Bunga. `At this time of the night?' asked the tanker driver, but yet he still opened the passenger side of the tanker cabin door. The man hesitated, `I am not sure we would all fit,' he said. `Why?' asked the driver. `Because there is room for only 2 persons and there are 100 of us here.'
The tanker driver could somewhat remember speeding to his home in Singapore and bed ridden with fever.
The second story was even scarier. It was recounted by a taxi driver. One midnight, a taxi driver was passing through Kebun Bunga close to midnight when a man stopped him. he asked for the fare till Tanjung Kupang. Since this incident happened a few months after the crash and we, Malaysians, have very short memory span, the taxi driver asked the man why he wanted to go to a place which is out of no where. `Oh,' said the man, `you see, they forgot to collect my right arm, I need to...' I believe the taxi driver didn't hang around to hear the full sentence!
These were two stories that I remember till today, told by my uncle as heard from his circle of tanker driver friends. Paranormal stories never fail to excite us, so if you have any, feel free to share in comments below.
The tanker driver leaned out of his window and had enquired what that man wanted and why was he standing at a place out of no where at that time of the night. That man replied that he usually stood about a couple of kilometres back but no one wanted to stop, so he moved further up. The tanker driver's hair at the back of his neck started rising and he didn't quite feel good about the whole situation, however, keeping his composure he asked if the man required any help. To which the man replied that he and his friends needed a lift into town, to Kebun Bunga. `At this time of the night?' asked the tanker driver, but yet he still opened the passenger side of the tanker cabin door. The man hesitated, `I am not sure we would all fit,' he said. `Why?' asked the driver. `Because there is room for only 2 persons and there are 100 of us here.'
The tanker driver could somewhat remember speeding to his home in Singapore and bed ridden with fever.
The second story was even scarier. It was recounted by a taxi driver. One midnight, a taxi driver was passing through Kebun Bunga close to midnight when a man stopped him. he asked for the fare till Tanjung Kupang. Since this incident happened a few months after the crash and we, Malaysians, have very short memory span, the taxi driver asked the man why he wanted to go to a place which is out of no where. `Oh,' said the man, `you see, they forgot to collect my right arm, I need to...' I believe the taxi driver didn't hang around to hear the full sentence!
These were two stories that I remember till today, told by my uncle as heard from his circle of tanker driver friends. Paranormal stories never fail to excite us, so if you have any, feel free to share in comments below.
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