Friends In Need

Of late, the official as well as social media have been flooded with images of severe floods throughout large portions of Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah has also been hit, albeit to a lesser extent.
It is heartening to note that the 4X4 fraternity have been among the first to help. It is common knowledge that many 4WD vehicles, being engineered for operation in rugged terrain, have an advantage in coping with floodwaters, compared with ordinary saloon cars.
A typical 4X4 is taller by design because this gives better ground clearance, a useful trait when traversing uneven ground. Of course, there are also occasions when the 4X4 may have to ford shallow streams in going about its business.

There are, of course, the videos and photos from the Camel Trophy years back in the 1980s and 90s, showing Land Rovers soldiering on gamely with their drivers sitting in chest-deep water.
So, it is easy to believe, as many people do, that 4X4 vehicles can go anywhere, any time.
I hate to dent this image because I really like it (the image) but the reality is, they do have limitations, and it is important to know these limits. It could be a matter of life and death.
A typical 4X4 off the showroom floor has an advantage of a few inches, maybe 50mm to 100mm, over the typical family car. An upgraded expedition vehicle, a la Borneo Safari special, may have another 10 inches (254mm) or so of extra clearance, thanks to lifted suspension, oversized tyres, snorkel (or raised air intake) and better waterproofing of some components.

But, before plunging literally into the deep end of real-world floodwaters, it is worth considering that many of the places now afflicted by the year-end deluge are under many METRES of water. Entire houses have been submerged.
Roads that are normally clearly marked and visible are now completely hidden under a shroud of murky water, with strong currents thrown in for good measure. There is no distinguishing the roads from the drains alongside, or other potential submerged hazards. There's no telling whether the roads are even still there, or have been partially or wholly swept away.
I am not telling any owner of a 4X4 to not go and help. Far from it, I am applauding those who are in a position to assist the less fortunate, and are willing to go and help.
What I am urging is for everyone to exercise caution. A 4X4, however well prepared and upgraded, is still not a boat but an air-breathing machine that needs to keep its wheels on solid ground.
"Be careful" is what I am saying. Don't venture alone to areas that you are not familiar with, go in a group that can help one another, preferably with locals to guide the way.

As you drive along dry tarmac and come upon a flooded stretch, you'd need to know how deep the deepest part of that stretch is. It usually starts off shallow because you are on high ground that is sloping downwards.
From the few centimetres of water initially, it progressively gets deeper. The deepest part may be half a metre, or a metre or three metres. It would be a bad idea to find out it's the latter when you are deep in it. Turning back may be difficult to impossible.
If you are eager to answer the call to help, make sure you and your vehicle are well prepared.
You should be familiar with your vehicle and how to operate all of its systems. If you don't know how to put it into 4H or don't know the difference between 4H and 4L, it is not a good idea to start learning when there is water lapping your bonnet.
At the very least, travel with someone you know for sure is experienced in driving in difficult conditions, and learn as much as you can before you get to the flooded areas.

Bear in mind that deep water is not the only hazard in the flooded areas. Constant and heavy rain can also cause landslides and roads can collapse with little warning. Even the trained professionals are not spared.
From the photos and videos circulating on social media, it is evident that life is not going on as normal. Petrol stations have been submerged so make sure you carry a sufficient supply of extra fuel for your vehicle.
Top up your tank and any extra jerry cans you have BEFORE you get to the flooded areas. Fuel is likely to be in short supply because all the locals will also be desperate to obtain fuel from a reduced number of outlets. You are there to help, not become a burden by needing rescue yourself.

Ensure you have an ample supply of extra food, drinking water and warm clothing for yourself and other volunteers in your car. The usual checklist of must-bring items for a week-long camping trip might be a good idea.
You cannot count on the usual standards of hospitality in a disaster area and, again, you do not want to become a burden on already scarce resources.
Communications are essential, and the usual cellular network may not be functioning in some areas. It is best to have long-range two-way radios. Whether VHF, UHF or HF, these may be the only way to contact the outside world once you are there. Prior preparation is essential, find out who can be reached on which frequencies.
It is not my intention, nor am I qualified, to write a manual on operating a 4X4 in flood relief missions, just sharing a few concerns and thoughts that came to mind.
Sarawak is not, fortunately, affected by floods that are any way as severe as those in other parts of the country so my buddies and I are not urgently needed. Hopefully, if the alarm is raised, we will be ready to answer the call.
Take care and stay safe.

That road you are familiar with, that you've driven on hundreds of times, may no longer be there, at least not in the shape you knew it, when it is submerged by floodwaters. - Pic by The Star Online.

Goodbye, Pak Nadjib, my friend

Fatkhun Nadjib AS 12.03.1964 - 29.11.2014

Update - A timely and well-deserved tribute to Pak Nadjib 04.12.2014

The measure of a friendship is not time. It is not how long you have been acquainted, nor is it how much time you have spent together. It is quality.
I have not known Fatkhun Nadjib for long, nor have we spent that much time together. We first met at the Jeruton Hotel in Brunei around the third week of October, 2012.
I had just driven solo from my hometown of Kuching, Sarawak, on my way to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, for the Borneo Safari, and Nadjib was a member of the GT Radial-sponsored team from Jakarta, Indonesia, headed the same way for the same purpose.
There were about a dozen of them, all from a club called, quite appropriately, Everything Four Wheel Drive (EFWD), so I had a tough time remembering their names and faces after the initial round of introductions, what with my failing short-term memory and all that.

The 'Everything Four Wheel Drive'
 decals that I display with pride.

Aside from team leader Susanto Harimuljo, soon to be known by all and sundry as simply "Santo", the other person whom I got to know right away was Pak Nadjib.
As that was the first time I had gotten to know Indonesians up close and personally, I called everyone Pak, realising only later that I was actually older ... errrm, more senior ... than most of them.
Pak Nadjib was instantly memorable not only because of his distinctive long and curly mane of grey hair and unforgettable craggy face, but because of his warmth, his friendly and unassuming personality.
Even though I struggled to understand their Bahasa Indonesia, I felt that he and I became friends right away. Over the next two weeks, under the arduous conditions of the Borneo Safari, I would also establish firm friendships with the rest of the EFWD gang.
I felt ashamed that, after 50 years and having travelled over much of the world, I had not gotten to know my next-door neighbours better. They are the finest bunch of mates a bloke could wish to have alongside when the going got tough, as they did in Borneo Safari 2012 (and indeed, any Borneo Safari in any year).
Among this group of confidence-inspiring bunch of off-roaders, Pak Nadjib stood out as the cool guy, totally unshakeable and imperturbable, always smiling and not only willing but eager to lend a hand to any and all in need.
Nothing seemed to upset or shock him, not mishaps or vehicle breakdowns, or bad weather, or, as is common in 4X4 adventures, when "shit happens".

Part of what defined Nadjib's character that year was his choice of ride, a venerable Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 that dated from the 1970s. "Bangor" had a three-speed gearbox and was powered by the original six-cylinder petrol-fueled F-series engine, unlike many of the ther highly modified vehicles on the start line.
Over the eight days that we tackled the rugged terrain of Sabah's interior, I always felt comforted when Pak Nadjib and Bangor were just in front of me, or in my rear view mirror.
He was the kind of person that exuded a calm confidence that convinced all around him that all was good, "no worries, everything will be just fine", no matter how rough the going was right then.
He had a lot more mechanical issues with his old car than I had with my then-brand new Land Rover Defender. Many a time, I stopped because he pulled over with some issue or other, and just observed as he and his co-driver, his son Ramadhan Dede, just got on with the repairs. In no time, we would be on our way again.
During one stretch when we spent a lot of time waiting in the beautiful meadows of Kota Belud for our turn to make progress, Pak Nadjib seemed to be spending an inordinate amount of time talking on a satellite phone.

He looked tired and when I asked if everything was okay, he just smiled and said that his wife had undergone an operation and was recuperating in hospital. He and his son were in Sabah so there was not much they could do, and that was that.
For me, Borneo Safari remains a happy memory not only because of the great 4X4 adventures we encountered along the way, and the awesome scenery, but also the many new friends I made along the way, especially the Indonesians and, in particular, Pak Nadjib, Santo, super mechanic Ero "the Hero" Kebo Ireng, Pak Herman and Pak Budhi.
Our journey together did not end with the closing dinner in Kota Kinabalu, for the Indonesians of EFWD had not only secured the Longest Journey Travelled To Get To The Start award (having set out on a ferry from Jakarta and overland via Pontianak, Tebedu, Serian, Sibu, Bintulu, Brunei, Limbang and Lawas) but also had the longest drive ahead just to get home.

I accompanied them on part of that journey until Kuching, where they spent a night as guests at my home, before we said goodbye and they headed off for the Sarawak-Indonesia border at Tebedu-Entikong.
I never saw Pak Nadjib again. I will never see him again.
The following year, I caught up with several of the EFWD guys at Borneo Safari 2013, including Santo, Ero, Paks Herman and Budhi, but Pak Nadjib was not with them. He had other plans.
This year, again, I journeyed with the regulars through another Borneo Safari and, again, Pak Nadjib was not able to join them.

We did stay in touch through Facebook, and I was able to follow some of his further adventures, as he did mine.
Every now and then, he would ask when I was going to come visit him and the other 4X4 enthusiasts in Jakarta.
"Soon," I'd reply each time.
This year, Santo again invited me to come visit and I resolved to make the trip in early 2015. I looked forward to meeting up with all my friends there, including Pak Nadjib.
That is one resolution I will now not be able to fulfill.
On the night of Nov 29, 2104, Pak Nadjib was killed by a speeding motorist. He was just 50.

This sequence of shots from a video
 show the last moments before
Nadjib was cruelly struck down.

His last moments were spent doing what I will always associate with the kind of man he was - trying to rescue another motorist trapped in his wrecked vehicle after an accident.
According to the facts that have emerged since, Pak Nadjib had been with his family on their way from Bandung heading towards Jakarta when they came across the scene of an accident.
The driver of a minibus that had been involved was still trapped in the mangled cabin.
Pak Nadjib did what I have seen him done many times before, park his car safely in front of the distressed vehicle and set about helping the victim.
A video taken by Ramadhan showed that Pak Nadjib was conscious of the danger he was in, and checked a couple times to ensure that the situation was safe before getting back to the rescue work at hand.
What he could not foresee was that a reckless motorist would drive by so fast and so near the site.
In an instance, a good friend to many, a good man, a good husband and a good father, was lost.
There are no words to describe the loss.
In the grand scheme of things, I have not known Pak Nadjib a long time, nor did I spend a whole lot of time with him. But in those fleeting moments we did share, doing the things we both loved, he and I became friends. Good friends.
On Facebook, there has been an outpouring of grief and tributes from many people who have known Nadjib, who have regarded him as a teacher and mentor in 4X4. They are not only from throughout Indonesia but also from Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak, everywhere he had been and touched those who have known him.
Goodbye and rest in peace, my friend Fatkhun Nadjib.
My heartfelt condolence to his family.

 

   

(L to R) Pak Nadjib, Ramadhan and Santo in happier times.