KUALA LUMPUR: Award-winning actress Vanidah Imran had a narrow escape when her Mini Cooper caught fire along the North-South Highway (KM 307) between Serdang and the Sungai Besi Toll Plaza early today.
Vanidah said the incident happened around 3am when she was driving home from a filming location in Malacca.
“A passing motorist alerted me when he noticed that my engine was burning. I soon saw it, and drove to the side of the road before quickly getting out,” she told the NST.
The 41-year-old who had a stint as a TV host for TV3’s Nona in 2011, subsequently called her husband fellow actor Rashidi Ishak, and he came to the scene of the incident.
“The car’s engine was on fire and this caused severe damage to the vehicle.”
Rashidi and Vanidah then made a police report at the Puchong police station.
One of the passing motorists alerted the Serdang Fire and Rescue Services Department which promptly deployed a team of firemen to put out the fire.
It is learnt that the Mini Cooper was the prize Rashidi and Vanidah won in Astro’s 2007 celebrity dance competition Sehati Berdansa.
Vanidah said: “It served us well for eight years, and had always been in tip-top condition.”
While she lost some clothes placed in the back seat of the car, she is fortunate that her handbag was salvaged as she always placed it at her feet beneath the driver’s seat.
“It’s sad to see our prized car go so suddenly, and its end has come as a shocking start for our Ramadan this year. But most importantly, I’m glad I’m safe and sound, and that’s what matters most to our family.”
Vanidah, from Penang, is best known for starring in the films Perempuan Melayu Terakhir, Tujuh Perhentian, The Red Kebaya, Cinta, Sepi and Setem.
She won Best Actress at the 20th Malaysian Film Festival for her role in The Red Kebaya.