Eighty-year-old taxi driver goes missing in Kajang

The Star, Tuesday January 20, 2015

 by nicholas cheng

KUALA LUMPUR: An 80-year-old taxi driver, who has 20 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, has gone missing in Kajang together with his vehicle.

The family of Mariappan Vadivelu are now appealing to Malaysians to help locate their patriarch after he went missing in Kajang, Sunday morning.

Mariappan, a retired army technician, reportedly left his home in Bandar Baru Bangi at about 9am on Jan 18 in his taxi (bearing plate number BJH 9244) and headed towards Kajang town to do his rounds.

"He would come home by 5pm every day. However, he didn't come back on Sunday and my brother, who is also a taxi driver, checked at stands around Kajang but no one had seen him," said his son M. Paramesvaran.

He said the family was worried as Mariappan, though healthy, was in his later years and had no means of communicating with his family as he did not own a mobile phone.

The taxi Mariappan was driving, bearing the number plate BJH 9244.

"He has been a taxi driver for about 10 years. We tell him he doesn't need to do it and that we can take care of him, but I think he just wants to keep active.

"We have checked all the hospitals in the area and he hasn't been admitted. We are worried and we don't know what could have happened to him," he said.

The family has lodged reports at the Bandar Baru Bangi and Kajang police stations. 

  

Those who have seen, or have information on Mariappan's whereabouts can contact Param (013-3226369), Mani (012-6071720) or Jeya (013-6086076).