The One with the Snatch Thief!

It has been a while since I last updated this blog. A lot have happened but somehow I did not manage to make myself to write something in this blog of mine.  Reason? none at all...none what so ever...

Never in my mind that I foresee the tragedy of being 'ragut' at my own apartment! But it did happened! The tragedy happened on the fateful Monday the 21st November 2011 at about 7am in front of my floor's lift. I was going to work at that time, alone. My handbag was snatched from behind.

That day we were to depart to Kelantan after work as Hubby had to attend meetings at Kelantan then Trengganu. So that morning I was carrying a handbag and pulling my luggage, when I was approaching the lift, I was greeted by a malay lad with cap and wearing red t-shirt who is also seem to approach the lift. He greeted me while pushing the lift button to go down. I did greet him but did not actually look at him directly as I was busy zipping my handbag. I just merely recognized his clothing. 

My handbag was securely clasped under my left arm when the lift arrived. I was standing in front of him, so when the lift door opened, I dragged my luggage with my right hand and started to enter the empty lift. That was when he snatched my handbag from behind, I screamed and pulled back my handbag. He managed to get my handbag on second pull as the strap broke. He ran up the stairs, and on impulse I ran after him while screaming for help!!

How surprised was that, me running up the stairs with baju kurung and with my current overweight body!! I remember took up 2 to 3 stairs at one go trying to get to the thief! I stopped on the 6th floor when somebody was asking why, I told him and he continued the catch running barefooted upstairs. I went downstairs to alert the guards, and they also went up...The guy was lost and no where to be found....

The block only have 8 floors and the door to the rooftop was locked. All stairs was blocked and searched and yet we could not find him. Our guess was that he was hiding in one of the apartment on the 7th or 8th floor and the apartment was near to the lift as nobody seen him though most of the tenants are outside of their apartment having heard my sooo loud scream! yeh Just noticed that I can scream very loud!!!! People on the ground can also heard my scream.

I called Hubby and wait for him at the guard house while scanning the people who went out. I was in denial actually, how did it happened? In the building, with people going out to work and with 24hr security guard! I was not even on the street! However, Alhamdulillah, I was not badly hurt except for some bruises and pain on left my shoulder and arm. The next day,beside my shoulder and arm my body was also aching, I guessed it was due to my running up the stairs!!!

I was left with my luggage and car key which fortunately is a habit for me the get the car key ready in my hand every time I was out from my apartment and driving somewhere. Also my house keys are always in my hand after locking my car before walking to the lift. While I was waiting for Hubby at the guard house, the guard did suspect tenants in the apartment at 7th floor. The siblings always act suspicious..Hemm...When Hubby arrived, we changed the house keys first before heading up to the Bukit Puchong Police Station to make a police report. 

The police said it was the first case 'seumpamanya'! Usually snatch theft happen on the streets and public places. Also it was the 1st case such thing happened in my apartment building. No crime was reported in the apartment compound so far.

We departed to Kelantan at about 3pm, I got 2 days MC. That  nite while driving, Hubby got a call from the security and the JMC, informing that a guy with similar descriptions was seen on CCTV entering the lift on the ground floor at my block about 4.00am. They MMSed the picture and I confirmed that it was him. Hubby called the police and they arranged with the security to do some questioning. The guy was seen entering the lift with a guy that the guard and the JMC recognized as one of the tenant on the 7th floor that they suspect previously!

The next day we were told that the police did come for questioning and the guys denied that they knew the suspect and said that he only met him for the first time at 4am at the ground floor waiting for the lift.Just after the police went back, the siblings went down to 'serang' the guards and JMC. They were angry that the guard and JMC accused them of doing the crime. They were asking who is the victim and would like to see me. Of course the JMC did not reveal my identity. The police was just asking if he knew the suspect, as he was seen to enter the lift together. The police and JMC did not accused him of the crime but he was a witness in this case as seen on the CCTV. So why were they so angry!!! hemmmm...!

I did not expect to find back my things but would like to ensure that no other tenants experience similar tragedy. The case stopped there with no further updates...Thanks to Allah that I am okay with no serious injury and finally yesterday I managed and able to go back alone and today going to work as usual. After the tragedy, I would only went back home with Hubby and when he was not home I went to my sibling's house!

All the while from the fateful day until this morning, I did not shed a single tear! But this morning as I was performing DHUHA prayer, I finally cried...sad that this thing happened to me, happy that I am somewhat recovered from the shock and redho..and most importantly 'saya insaf dan bertaubat'. Why?

Lately I am not a good muslimah, it has been a while since I last recited the Quran! A few times late in performing the solat and a lot of many other things. I finally read the Quran on Saturday nite, the following Monday the tragedy happened. I ought to put myself on track again in terms of 'ibadah'. A lot have been missing from my daily routine!

" Mungkin hati ini sudah banyak tompok hitam dek dosa-dosa dan tiada aktiviti-aktiviti yang dilakukan untuk membersih hati ku ini. Aku jadi leka dan terus menerus meninggalkan ibadah-ibadah harian untuk penyucian hati dan jiwa. Mana peginya Aku bila kuliah-kuliah diadakan, apa yang aku buat dimasa lapang yang begitu banyak sekarang ni, kenapa menunggu diakhir waktu untuk bersolat walaupun kelapangan dan tiada kerja menanti...Kenapa tidak dibasahkan lidah ku dengan ayat-ayat suci Al Quran dari merenung dan tekun utk menghabiskan novel yang dibaca....Ya Allah tunjukkan aku ke jalan yang lurus yang diredhoi ole Mu.."

" Ya Allah, Yang Mana Pengampun, ampunilah daku dan rahmatilah daku dengan rahmat Mu yang paling baik"

Let this be a lesson to me! I would like to share a few tips I picked up during the tragedy;

1. Do not enter the lift if you are alone and there are suspicious guys inside.
2. When greeted by somebody you do not know, look them in the eye face to face and greeted back. They know that you had already seen them and hence less likely they would hurt you.
3. Your handbag should be the one with strap that easy enough to broke when being strongly pulled. In my case, the police said luckily my handbag strap broke, if not I would have fell down or being dragged up the stairs! The thief would ensure that they get what they are snatching and hence they would pulled until you let go! When the handbag is securely under your arm, it is actually quite difficult for you to let go especially when being snatched from behind. Hence the injury might be severe..
4. Try your very best to go without 'the big throw everything handbag'.

An this from the net;