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The car had stalled; the hood was up.

An elderly Chinese woman stood alone in the right lane of a busy highway, waiting.

Areeq Khan pulled over.

What happened next took less than five minutes; the video has 26,000 likes.

Areeq, a motorcyclist, spotted the stalled Daihatsu Feroza and approached the woman — described in comments as an auntie who sells vegetables at Pasar Borong Seri Kembangan.

He offered to push the car to a shaded spot under a tree.

She hesitated.

“It is hot now. If you wait first. Waiting up ahead is better,” Areeq said, pressing on.

“Don’t push; cannot push. You have too much — it is too much for you,” she replied.

“This is fine, it is light,” he said.

He pushed.

One Question, One Line, 26,000 Likes

Then came the moment that sent the video viral.

In his caption, Areeq recounted what the auntie had said to him at the scene:

You are Malay; why are you helping me, a Chinese?

His response, also in the caption:

Eh, does she not know that I am Nepal mix Arabica, pui.

This lighthearted retort, while not part of the direct video dialogue, effectively highlights the irony of racial divisions and emphasises that kindness transcends ethnic boundaries.

The post drew over 1,700 comments.

The Auntie Is Known Around the Market

One user, Norashidah Abdul Mutalib, further humanised the story with her personal connection

This auntie sells vegetables at Pasar Borong Seri Kembangan. She is a good person. Often gives free cabbage, spinach, cucumber, or eggplant.

Others called Areeq a hero. A gentleman.

Several noted that racial division, in their view, lives more in political discourse than in everyday life.

The hashtag #1Malaysia trended across the comments section.

Other comments praised Khan as a “hero” and a “gentleman,” with several users pointing out that ordinary citizens live in harmony and that racial issues are often amplified by political discourse.

It’s a small moment, really — someone helping a stranger by the roadside — but the way Malaysians rallied around it online says a lot about how that sense of goodwill and looking out for each other is still very much alive.

(Pic: Norashidah Abdul Mutalib)

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