"I stayed silent out of fear": Student recounts obscene conversation with e-hailing driver

A 19-year-old college student, known as Putery, recounted a disturbing incident where an e-hailing driver engaged in an obscene conversation with her during her ride from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan to her hostel in Setapak. Putery recorded parts of the conversation, which subsequently gained widespread attention on social media.

The ride began on a Wednesday evening, with Putery taking a bus from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur, intending to arrive at the terminal by 9pm. Due to a delay, her bus arrived around 1.30am. Initially, Putery was assigned one driver, but the booking was canceled after her bus was delayed. She then received another driver, who informed her he was close to the terminal.

Upon arrival, Putery informed him of her delayed arrival. As they headed to her hostel, the driver initiated a conversation about her delay before shifting to personal experiences. He inquired about her holiday plans, to which Putery responded that her friends were holidaying in Thailand and she was returning home to be with her family.

The driver then proceeded to discuss Thailand, prostitution, and shared personal experiences, making uncomfortable remarks about her body and sexual matters. Despite her discomfort, Putery gave short, non-committal responses. The driver continued to discuss sexual matters throughout the journey, even showing her a type of pill he claimed he had taken before engaging in sexual activities.

The journey, normally taking around 20 minutes, took longer than expected due to clear roads in the early hours. Putery chose not to confront the driver, citing her fear as a woman being alone with him. She remained silent until they reached her destination, lodging a police report at the Setapak station afterwards.