WE’RE SORRY: Wee (left) presents a memento to Hiroshi as a gesture of apology. (Inset) Hiroshi on the night after he was attacked.That was what 19-year-old Yamaguchi Hiroshi said when asked about being slashed and robbed on the first day he arrived here.
He endured the terrifying experience on Sept 14 when walking to a 24-hour-convenience store from his lodgings at Jalan Mathies. The story was published by The Borneo Post on Sept 16.
He got 10 stitches after his neck and face were slashed by men armed with meat cleavers to whom he refused to surrender his wallet and iPod.
Hiroshi is one of 11 volunteers from a non-governmental organisation (NGO) from Japan called ‘Nice’ which organises voluntary projects all around their country and Southeast Asia.
Hiroshi was all alone till photographer Nik Hariff Hassan from Berita Harian happened to pass by.
Hariff helped to call the police but a patrol vehicle arrived only 40 minutes later.
With his wounds, unattended Hiroshi was told by the police to go to the nearest police station instead of taking him to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
Bleeding, Hiroshi (escorted by Hariff) walked all the way to the central police station (CPS).
It was when they reached the station that Hiroshi was rushed to SGH.
The following day Hiroshi was still able to get on with his two-week project at Rumah Dagan in Sarikei.
At a dinner arranged by the president of Sarawak Tourism Federation, Wee Hong Seng, on Sunday after the stint, Hiroshi was seen in good spirits.
He was met by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism, Akit Sebli, at the dinner.
Hiroshi told reporters that he has put the nasty experience behind him, enjoyed his stay in Sarawak and would come back as a tourist.
“Crime could happen anytime, anywhere in the world. It’s not just Kuching. That fateful day is just a bad day for me,” Hiroshi said, adding that he held no grudge against the people of Kuching.
Wee apologised to Hiroshi and his team on behalf of the tourism industry and hoped the police would redouble their efforts to ensure no attack would happen again on locals or tourists.
The volunteers were presented with mementoes of Sarawak while Berita Harian photographer Hariff was given recognition for having helped Hiroshi.
Wee encouraged members of the public to emulate Hariff’s example.
Hiroshi left for Japan at 11am yesterday.
By Fitzpatrick Ricky and Rizal Lynam (Borneo Post, 30.9.2008)
It was very lucky he got slightly injured... it could have been worse..
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