KUALA LUMPUR: Inter-Asia Communication managing director David Gibson was driving on the Sprint Highway from Bangsar heading to Mont Kiara when he noticed a motorcyclist pointing at his left front tyre.
“I did not stop but lowered my car window and drove slowly to try and listen to see if my tyre was flat.
“Suddenly, another two men on a motorcycle rode beside me, pointed to my front left tyre and shouted ‘Smoke, Smoke!’
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| Gibson showing the black residue left on his tyre after it was splashed with the oily liquid. |
“My car temperature also rose suddenly. I pulled over and noticed that there was some sort of liquid on my tyre. The liquid was emitting smoke but there did not seem to be any flames.
“The men on the motorcycle also pulled over and said they could help me fix the problem at a nearby mechanic’s shop but I declined.
“I had just collected my car from another mechanic that morning after getting the cooling system fixed,” he said.
Gibson explained that he suspected some gas had leaked and decided to drive back to his original mechanic.
According to him, the mechanic said the smoke from the liquid was because of friction and there was no damage to my car.
“All I needed to do was to wash off the liquid,” he said.
“Only then did it occur to me that I had notcied the first motorcylist waiting on my left at the traffic light junction near the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. The man could have squirted the liquid on to my tyres.
“The oily liquid left a black residue and could not be removed with normal washing but needed to be polished,” Gibson said.
Ah Meng, a mechanic from YM Auto Parts and Accessories, said this was not an isolated case and that many of his customers had been similarly targeted.
“One of my customers had to pay RM1,000 after encountering a similar experience.
“My advice to motorists is to take their vehicles to their regular mechanics or call for auto assist services when in need. It is risky to engage the services of these ‘roadside’ mechanics,” he said.