KUALA LUMPUR: A mentally-deranged man caused a massive jam along busy Jalang Kuching here yesterday when he performed his prayers in the middle of heavy traffic near Taman City.
As vehicles slowed down to avoid hitting the man, who had escaped from a hospital, traffic policemen on duty were alerted to the massive traffic jam that stretched to Jalan Ipoh.
Kuala Lumpur police traffic investigations and enforcement department chief ACP Sarifuddin Mohd Salleh said traffic policemen who were despatched to the scene to ease traffic spotted the man performing the azan in the middle of the road.
He said while directing traffic, the policemen managed to persuade the man who is a Malaysian in his 30’s to move to a nearby petrol station.
“The man had a white bracelet on his wrist which is commonly issued at hospitals. Our checks showed that he is a patient who was being treated at a psychiatric ward of Selayang Hospital but had escaped from the place,“ Sarifuddin said.
He said police alerted the hospital officials and an ambulance arrived at the scene to return the man to his ward.
Videos of the deranged man taken by motorists made its rounds in the social media soon after the incident.
While many netizens praised the traffic policemen for their kind and compassionate approach in handling the situation, a few questioned why the police were not prompt enough in arresting the man as he posed a safety risk to himself and other road users.
