'I have no intention to be rewarded': Grab driver says after giving free ride to passenger whose father died

Most Grab drivers take us to our destinations. Some go the extra mile.

One Grab driver is being praised for making a difficult day just a little better for one rider when he waived the fare and even gave her an ang bao after learning that her father had just died.

Nasran Zainal's good deeds first came to light when the passenger, who remains unnamed, took to Facebook to share their encounter on Feb 28.

She had booked a ride on Feb 26 heading to Singapore General Hospital to visit her father, who had died earlier that day.

"I booked a Grab ride from home to SGH and got a driver who was travelling along PIE (Pan Island Expressway) and three minutes away. I was with my aged mum," she wrote.

"After a while, I checked the app and suddenly saw that he was along ECP (East Coast Parkway) and the waiting time turned to 11 mins."

Feeling confused, she messaged Nasran to clarify and explained their reason for heading to the hospital.

Nasran, 34, sent his condolences and explained that he had to make a detour as he had been at an exit along the expressway when he received the booking, but assured them that he would pick them up nonetheless.

At this point, she was "already very appreciative" of Nasran, she said.

But there were more surprises to come.

When they reached the hospital, Nasran handed them an ang bao, saying it was a "small token".

"I rejected it and said 'don't need' as I felt really paiseh (embarrassed) of him doing that [sic]. After some haggling, I accepted the small token as he was really insistent."

The second surprise came the next day when she received a refund of the $11 fare.

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After enquiring with Grab's customer service personnel, she found out that the driver had requested the refund as a "goodwill token".

Addressing Nasran, the passenger wrote: "You are really a shiny gem who went the extra mile. Anyone who knows Mr Zainal, please pass the message to him. Thank you."

The post quickly attracted over 6,400 shares and some 800 comments singing Nasran's praises.

One commenter wrote: "We salute you Mr Zainal. You are a very kind and compassionate man. May God bless you and your family."

Another said: "A great man with a wonderful heart. May you be blessed with good health and happiness. Drive safely and thank you for your kindness."

Speaking to AsiaOne on Mar 2, Nasran explained:

"Upon hearing that her dad passed away, I really felt sad for the family. In my heart, I said I should do something for the family.

"I have always believed we should do something for the community and help anyone whenever they need, regardless of race or religion."

In response to his good deed going viral, Nasran was modest and self-effacing, saying that there were others who had "done much more" than him.

"Honestly I really didn't expect this to be viral as I have no intention to be rewarded for what I have done. I feel blessed and thankful to all the people who have been sharing this news and sending good wishes for myself and my family on social media."

AsiaOne has reached out to Grab for comment.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com