Thank You, Malaysia Airlines

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24, 2025: Last year, I fractured my left leg—more accurately, my foot—after missing a few steps on the stairs at home. A year has passed, and while I can walk again, my steps are still unsteady. The pain returns whenever I stand or walk for long periods, and I now rely on a walking stick whenever I leave the house.

Despite this, I recently decided to go on a short package holiday with my niece to Jakarta and Bandung, organised by Jawahir Travel & Tours, from Dec 9 to Dec 12. Our flight with Malaysia Airlines was smooth and pleasant.

However, the trip did not get off to the best start upon our arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK). The airport has implemented a biometric screening system, and a few days before departure, all visitors were required to complete the All Indonesia form online—which we duly did. Everything should have gone smoothly, but it didn’t.

My passport repeatedly failed to clear the biometric checkpoints, no matter how many times it was tried. The security personnel explained that the system could not recognise one digit on my passport. Panic set in, especially as my niece and several others in our tour group—except for our tour leader Naquib and another member, Mustapha—encountered similar issues. After some back and forth, I was directed to the ‘All Passports’ to be manually checked by an immigration officer. Thankfully, everything was cleared. Strangely enough, my passport posed no problem at the next checkpoint.

What truly took its toll, though, was the walking. CGK is Indonesia’s largest and busiest airport, and the distances between points are considerable. Terminal 1, opened in 1985, mainly serves domestic flights; Terminal 2, opened in 1991, handles international flights; while Terminal 3, opened in 2011 and expanded in 2016, caters to both domestic and international travellers. The long walks through the airport were punishing on my already fragile foot.

It was then that I realised I should have requested a wheelchair. I later learned that Malaysia Airlines does provide this service. After my difficult experience at Jakarta airport, I requested wheelchair assistance for my return journey from CGK to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

To my surprise—and gratitude—after checking in at the Malaysia Airlines counter at CGK, with help from Naquib, the airline arranged for a staff member, a young lady, to assist me. She wheeled me comfortably all the way to the boarding gate. Even better, upon landing in KLIA, another staff member was already waiting with a wheelchair. A young man then wheeled me all the way to the baggage claim area and right up to the point where I could book my Grab ride home.

The service was seamless, thoughtful, and deeply appreciated.

Thank you, Malaysia Airlines.