Phone company keeps injured Kiwi connected
An injured Kiwi beekeeper whose calls to his family from a Malaysian hospital cost thousands of dollars has had a reprieve from his phone company.
Grant Stanley, 47, of Opotiki, was attacked after trying to get a visa for a Malaysian prostitute. Her taxi driver boyfriend attacked him with a razor blade in a Kuala Lumpur hotel on Friday.
Stanley received deep wounds to his neck, face, lip, eyelid and back in a prolonged onslaught.
He said he was recovering in Bali, but had broken ribs and two missing teeth.
He had also incurred about $2000 in phone charges from 2degrees while calling family from a Malaysian hospital.
He said 2degrees had charged him about $2000 in a week to stay connected to the internet and send ‘‘a handful of texts’’.
However, a 2degrees spokesperson said it was an ‘‘unfortunate’’ and ‘‘distressing’’ time for Stanley and offered a gesture of goodwill.
‘‘We are happy to credit his account for the roaming charges incurred during his three-night stay in hospital as there was a genuine need to contact family to advise them of the situation, his condition and progress at the time.’’
Stanley said he had been in Kuala Lumpur to meet a woman he had befriended last year.
The woman was a prostitute, but he said their relationship was platonic. He had been trying to get her a visa to New Zealand. She introduced him to her lover, the taxi driver. Things turned sour after a few days, when Stanley became suspicious about the couple’s intentions and tried to leave.
He said he was almost suffocated with a blanket before he escaped after biting off the tip of his attacker’s finger.
Stanley said New Zealand diplomatic staff had been very helpful, but thought it ‘‘sucked’’ that Kiwis in trouble overseas did not get any money for food or accommodation in emergencies.
‘‘Thank God for the Malaysian police who recovered my stolen bag which the assailants had hidden in the hotel somewhere with my passport and alternate cash card inside.’’
He planned to stay in Bali for a time before heading back to New Zealand.
‘‘Otherwise full of stitches but grateful for life,’’ he said.
The 2degrees spokesperson said while the company was working on making international roaming more affordable there were some destinations, such as Malaysia, where it cost significantly more to roam .