When a fire broke out in the middle of the night, most people would have frozen in fear.
But for 26-year-old Harvison, there was no time to think about fear, danger, or even himself.
All he knew was that an elderly couple in their 80s needed help, and he had to do something before it was too late.
Speaking to WeirdKaya, Harvison recalled the terrifying incident which took place on April 30 at around 2am, when he was suddenly alerted by his neighbour about a fire in the area.
Woke up to neighbours shouting about fire
According to Harvison, he was asleep when his neighbour informed him about the fire.
When he rushed to the scene, he realised that the house on fire belonged to an elderly couple who had been living near his family for years.
“My family and the old couple bought our houses at the same time,” he said, adding that his mother knew them.
Earlier, philanthropist Kuan Chee Heng, better known as Uncle Kentang, had shared about the incident on Facebook, saying that the fire had destroyed four houses and that Harvison had helped rescue the elderly couple from the burning home.
‘All I knew was they needed help’
As the fire grew larger, Harvison said his neighbour, who first woke them up, helped push down the fence so they could reach the trapped couple.
“My neighbour, who initially woke us up, came to help and pushed all the fence down. So my job was just to go in and carry the couple.”
Despite the danger, Harvison said he was not thinking about anything else at that moment.
That moment, I wasn’t thinking of anything. All I knew was they needed help. So I just did it without thinking twice.”
The elderly woman, whom Harvison referred to as “Aunty”, had a hunchback and could not walk much on her own, let alone climb to the other side of the fence.
Seeing that she could not escape by herself, Harvison carried her from one side of the fence to the other.
“I helped to carry her from one side of the fence to another. I did the same for her husband too.”
Did not want to leave son behind
While Harvison managed to carry the elderly woman out, rescuing the elderly man was more difficult.
According to him, the uncle initially refused to leave because his son was still inside the burning house.
Sadly, the couple’s bedridden OKU son did not survive the fire.
“We could not go inside the room. I could only enter the kitchen due to how big the fire was. If you had seen the fire that night, you would have been terrified.”
Harvison also shared that his mother did not know at first that he had gone inside to help.
“My mom did not know at first because she was standing in front of our house, so only my sister knew that I was going in to help,” he said.
When his sister saw him opening the door, she scolded him for entering the dangerous area. But for Harvison, it was worth the risk as he wanted to rescue the elderly couple.
Another uncle who lived next to Harvison’s house also helped out during the incident.
Elderly couple now safe at cousin’s home
After the couple was rescued, Harvison and his family reportedly took them into their home temporarily and helped calm them down after the traumatic incident.
They were later moved to a hotel before being cared for by their family.
Harvison has since confirmed that the elderly couple are now safe and living at their cousin’s home.
Following the incident, Harvison was also called to give a statement when forensics arrived for the post-mortem of the couple’s son.
“When the forensics arrived for the post-mortem of the son, they called me to give the statement. When I asked them the cause, they told me it was due to a short circuit,” he said.
Neighbours by fate, heroes by choice
What made the story touch many Malaysians was not just the rescue itself, but the fact that Harvison acted without hesitation despite the terrifying situation.
Uncle Kentang had previously praised him as a “real hero” and said not many people would have dared to do what he did.
But for Harvison, it was simple. There was a fire. Two elderly neighbours were trapped. And in that moment, he chose to help.
Sometimes, bravery is not about planning what to do. It is simply seeing someone in danger and deciding, without thinking twice, that their life matters.
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