Sunday April 2, 2006
April Fool's Day joke leaves Johor businessman fuming
BY R.S.N. MURALI
SEREMBAN: A mechanic here thought he had a deal that would make him rich, but it was just an April Fool prank.
The joke landed him on the floor of a Chinese restaurant, where he also had to fork out RM599 for the lavish meals he ordered for a businessman and his friends who travelled here all the way from Johor to close the deal.
The businessman was not amused when he found out about the bogus deal and accused the 29-year-old mechanic of wasting his time.
In an ensuing scuffle, one of the businessman’s aides pushed the mechanic to the floor.
When they left the restaurant, located at a leading hotel here, he was left to settle the bill.
It all started while the mechanic, who wanted to be only known as Yip, was having a drink with several friends in Seremban Two at about 12.30am yesterday.
His cellphone rang and a familiar number flashed on the screen.
The caller claimed he had an option for the sale of rubber land, which was purportedly being offered at a price far below the market rate.
The caller said he had all the relevant documents on the property and the deal could be executed immediately.
The price, he said, was only RM4,000 per acre and a mega project under the Ninth Malaysia plan was to be carried out on the land.
Confident of getting a buyer, Yip called the businessman in Johor at 8am.
The businessman was equally excited and decided to drive up here, accompanied by his legal adviser and two business associates. They arrived at the hotel at 11am to discuss the deal.
Yip was certain that deal could be sealed as the buyers had said they were willing to pay cash for the property, if all the documents pertaining to it were in place.
They ordered the meals while waiting for Yip’s contact to turn up.
An hour passed and Yip decided to call his friend.
To Yip’s disbelief, his contact told him that he was just playing an April Fool trick and there was no such deal!
When Yip told his business guests the truth, they became rough and one of the businessman’s friends shoved him until Yip fell to the floor.
After they left, Yip went to the office of Temiang state assemblyman Datuk Lee Yuen Fong at Jalan Temiang here and poured out his woes.
He lamented that he lost his dignity in front of the businessman and his associates, causing them to burn their bridges with him.
“And it’s all because of a foolish joke,” he told reporters.
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