GEORGE TOWN, May 24 — “I get out of the car clad in my convocation robe because I panicked as it was already 9 am. Yet, my parents and I were still stranded in the unusual traffic jam at the Penang Bridge due to a fatal accident.
“I flagged down a motorcyclist who was willing to drop me off at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to attend the 59th Convocation Ceremony today,” said R. Kevin, 28 USM graduate here today.
Earlier, a photo showing Kevin holding a USM convocation robe on the bridge went viral as he sought assistance from a motorcyclist who was heading into the island after being stuck in a jam that occurred since 5.30 am today resulting from a fatal accident involving a lorry.
Kevin and his parents left their residence in Seberang Jaya, near here at 6.30 am, but they did not expect severe congestion from the mainland to the island following the accident at the Penang Bridge.
“I was hoping the congestion would not last long but after 9 am the vehicles still didn’t move much, so I decided to go down and look for an alternative because my dream is to go up on the stage to receive the scroll today,” he said.
Kevin, who received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration at the fifth convocation session, said he got out of the car with his convocation robe in hand and tried his luck to stop a motorcyclist who was willing to drop him off for the USM Convocation Ceremony.
“I am very moved because there are still kind people willing to help, I also did not have time to have a long conversation with the motorcyclist because he was in a hurry.
“I wish to take this opportunity to thank him, without his help I may not have been able to get up on stage today,” he said.
Kevin said he was also happy because his parents, Rayappan, 62 and Mary, 48, made it in time to see him receive his degree.
Thankfully, the management of the University and the Secretariat of the 59th USM Convocation Ceremony understood the difficulties experienced by the graduates who received their degrees at the fifth session today and postponed the ceremony for 30 minutes.
The Convocation Ceremony chaired by USM Pro-Chancellor, Tan Sri Datuk Dr Zulkefli A. Hassan which was supposed to start at 10 am was postponed until 10.30 am to give some time to those affected by the congestion as a result of the accident.
In the 5.15 am accident, the driver and attendant of a lorry carrying vegetables were killed after their vehicle was involved in a crash with a trailer at Kilometre 8.6 of the Penang Bridge towards the island near here.
