A British electrician claims he has been stranded in Malaysia for over two months after his passport was confiscated following a dispute over a RM7 parking fee.
According to a report by the UK newspaper Daily Mail, 47-year-old Ahmed Hadi from London was arrested just three days after arriving in Malaysia with his wife and two daughters on December 4. His ordeal began in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, when a parking payment machine failed to accept either of his credit cards as he attempted to exit the facility with his family.
Hadi recounted that after unsuccessfully trying to make the payment, he pressed the assistance button and engaged in a 10-minute conversation with a parking attendant. However, the issue remained unresolved. Faced with no other option, he gently lifted the plastic barrier, which he claimed collapsed with minimal force.
Two days later, police summoned him to a station, where he was interrogated for two hours regarding the broken barrier. He was subsequently arrested and jailed. The following day, he was brought to court, but the case remained unresolved as authorities sought additional time to investigate the incident.
In the meantime, his wife contacted the British consulate and secured legal representation. Through the lawyer, an agreement was reached in early January with the car park owner, stipulating that Hadi would pay RM1,000 to cover the cost of repairing the barrier. To secure his release, his wife also paid three guarantors a total of RM12,500 for bail and an additional RM5,600 in legal fees.
Despite these efforts, Hadi remains in legal limbo and is scheduled to appear in court again today, February 17. He expressed uncertainty over the reasons for this continued legal process.
Hadi and his family had left the UK in August, spending three months in Thailand before arriving in Malaysia in early December.
The Daily Mail also reported that the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur did not respond to requests for comment. When contacted, police confirmed the existence of the case, with Penang police chief Hamzah Ahmad expected to issue a statement soon.
