Chance Encounter Wan Saiful Meets 300km Walk Epf Man

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Perikatan Nasional MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan, whose coalition is pressing the government to allow another round of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal, met with a man who walked more than 300km from Johor to Kuala Lumpur in what is described as a “chance encounter”.
According to the Tasek Gelugor MP, it was not something that was planned beforehand.
Wan Saiful (above, right) said he had accompanied representatives from three NGOs to submit a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur to appeal to the monarch to advise Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has rejected the call for another withdrawal.
"These NGOs met me about a month ago to ask for my help in arranging a session at the palace so that they can submit a memorandum from the rakyat.
"In this memorandum, we are seeking the king's help on two things. Firstly, we are hoping the government would allow targeted EPF withdrawals.
"Secondly, the memorandum also seeks to inform the Agong that the rakyat is generally unhappy with the government's decision that contributors should take a loan instead and use their EPF accounts as collateral," he told a press conference outside the palace.
The three NGOs are Pertubuhan Gagasan Inovasi Rakyat, Muslim Consumer Association Malaysia (PPIM) and the Global Human Rights Federation.
Taxi driver Norazlan IsmailWan Saiful said Norazlan Ismail, the 49-year-old taxi driver who arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Skudai last night, joined them. He later entered the palace grounds with the group.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, an aide to the MP said Wan Saiful’s entourage met him near the traffic light close to the palace.
Before their encounter, reporters received a notice that Wan Saiful would enter Istana Negara via Gate 3 and may meet with the taxi driver.
"If there is a chance, (Wan Saiful) may meet Noorazlan as his name was included in the list of visitors as well."
Divine intervention
At the press conference earlier, Wan Saiful said he had offered to give Norazlan a ride when the latter arrived near the palace because he was worried that if the taxi driver marched from the heart of Kuala Lumpur to Istana Negara, it could attract a large following and become an illegal gathering.
“His intentions are noble, but it might become something against the law (if a large-scale gathering takes place without a permit),” he added.
Similar to the MP, the father of five, who had to divorce his wife due to financial problems last year, also told reporters that meeting Wan Saiful and the NGOs representatives was a coincidence.
Meanwhile, Wan Saiful said he had requested an appointment with Istana Negara officials in mid-March.
“Coincidentally, Norazlan started walking to the palace on March 28,” he added.
The former Bersatu information chief, who resigned from his post after being charged with soliciting and accepting bribes, said he would bring Norazlan to Parliament to meet with other MPs.
"All this was unplanned. But Alhamdulillah, everything went smoothly. Allah has helped us in arranging these things to happen.
"From our meeting in Istana Negara, and then going to the Parliament after this. And coincidentally, Machang MP (Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal) had also brought up a motion to debate (EPF issue) but this was rejected," he added.
This morning, PN MPs staged a walkout when Wan Fayhsal’s request to debate the matter was rejected.
Norazlan, on the other hand, told reporters that he embarked on the 312km journey to get the attention of government leaders, including Anwar, for “failing to understand the people’s plight.”
"So, I resorted to doing this to attract the attention (of the leaders) to people at the bottom like me, who are desperate to pay our debts.
"Initially, I was only planning to reach the gate of Istana Negara. But Alhamdulillah, coincidentally I met with all of them (the group) when I reached here," he added.
Norazlan’s mission had drawn both praise and scepticism on social media, with some raising doubts about how he managed to cover the distance in four days.
Some compared it to the 235km “A Walk For Tigers” by Sharifah Sofia Syed Hussein and Rafizah Mat Zin from Taman Negara in Pahang to the Kuala Lumpur High Court which took nine days to complete. - Mkini

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