What began as a ride that Joel Liu In Jae expected to be relaxed quickly turned into an unforgettable journey of kindness during his cycling trip from Singapore to Johor.
In a post shared on Instagram, Joel recounted how his bicycle tyre was punctured when he reached Kota Tinggi, just as daylight was fading. With no repair options in sight and no accommodation booked, he had no choice but to push his bicycle on foot for about three kilometres until he arrived at a nearby kampung.
There, Joel met a shop owner named Faz, who proved to be a lifeline in an unfamiliar place. Well-known among the villagers, Faz stepped in to help and eventually connected Joel with a nearby campsite where he could spend the night safely.
As fate would have it, another local resident named Isa happened to pass by and learned about Joel's predicament. Without hesitation, Isa sat down with the stranded cyclist and tried everything he could to repair the damaged tyre. He even made several trips back to his house to fetch different tools, determined to find a solution.
Despite spending nearly two hours attempting various DIY fixes, the tyre remained beyond repair. Accepting the situation, Joel planned to walk another seven kilometres to the campsite. But Isa was not about to let that happen. He rode home on his motorcycle, returned with a van, and personally drove Joel along with his bicycle to the campsite.
Along the way, Isa checked if Joel had eaten and stopped to buy him a burger from a local stall, adding yet another thoughtful gesture to an already remarkable act of generosity.
Reflecting on the experience, Joel shared how deeply moved he was by Isa's selflessness, noting that the man helped him without expecting anything in return and disappeared just as quietly.
"He's someone who may never see me again, yet he went out of his way for me," Joel said. "We often assume people in developing areas have less, but that day, I felt like I was the one lacking something."
The story resonated strongly online, with many Malaysians expressing pride in the kampung community whose compassion and hospitality turned a difficult situation into a powerful reminder of humanity at its best.
