A British tourist says he is stuck in Malaysia after the courts “confiscated his passport” in a dispute over a parking lot.
Ahmed Hadi, 47, claims he left his car for 10 minutes in a Penang parking lot on December 7, during a visit with his family.
He says he tried to pay the $1.57 USD parking fee when he left—seven Malaysian ringgits—but the machine wouldn’t accept either of his cards.
The electrician, from London, UK, said he pressed a button for help and spoke to parking officials for another 10 minutes, but says they weren’t able to help.
And without anyone in sight to ask, he lifted the plastic barrier to leave the parking lot, bending the barrier.
Days later, he was arrested and ended up in court before his attorney reached a deal with the parking firm.
But eight weeks since the parking incident, he’s still without his passport, which was taken by the court as part of his bail conditions, he claims.
He had traveled to the country with his wife, Lucy, and two daughters, intending to live there, but has decided he doesn’t want to stay.
Ahmed said: “The whole thing was ridiculous from the start.
“I was willing to pay, but they couldn’t take the money and wouldn’t let me out.
“I thought we’d sorted everything out, but I still don’t have my passport or any idea when or if I’ll get it back.
“Malaysia is a hellhole with no human rights.
“The conditions were awful in the cells—50 people sharing one toilet.
“One of the police threatened to beat me up.
“We think Britain is broken, but this makes you realize how good we have it.
“This country is a rip-off, and you’re not free.”
Ahmed and his family left the UK in August, spent three months in Thailand, and arrived in Malaysia on December 4.
They had parked their car on December 7, intending to go for a meal but just stayed for a coffee because the restaurant they planned to go to was closed.
Ahmed said he lifted the barrier, and the plastic bent when he lifted it.
He said: “There was no other way out.
“It was quite annoying and ridiculous.
“I was gentle with the barrier, but it just caved in like paper.”
Ahmed got a call from the police on December 9 and was ordered to the police station, where he was questioned for two hours, then arrested for breaking the barrier, he said.
He was taken to court the next day, and police were given more time to investigate, he said.
Lucy phoned the British consulate and got a lawyer, and Ahmed was back in court.
Lucy paid three bail sponsors to bail him out—a total of around $2,770 USD —plus an additional $1,236 to an attorney.
Ahmed was allowed out, but the court took his passport.
The attorney met with the parking lot owner at the beginning of January, and the couple paid $220 to cover the repair costs to the barrier, Lucy said.
They went back to court, but Ahmed has to reappear on February 17 for reasons unknown, he claims.
He said: “We considered living here before this, but there’s no way—it’s inhumane.
“When I was arrested, nobody read me my rights. I was moved to a different cell every day.
“Lucy had no idea where I was or what was happening.”
Lucy, a business owner, added: “Ahmed is British but also from Kuwait, so they just kept saying, ‘He’s a rich man.’
“It’s basically a police state—there’s no freedom of speech.
“They just arrest you for anything, and they do it to make money.”
The British Embassy in Malaysia did not respond to a request for comment.
