A Malaysian man has been hailed as a hero after he jumped into a monsoon drain to rescue a woman from being swept away by raging flood waters in Johor on Jan 7.

Mr Choo Ngiam Choong, 50, said he did not hesitate to leap over the guard rail along a drain to save the woman after he saw her clinging to the back of a partially submerged Perodua Myvi car.

“I didn’t think twice and immediately jumped in to save the woman after seeing her being swept away by the strong current,” Mr Choo told Malay tabloid Harian Metro.

“I am happy that I was able to save the woman in less than five seconds to prevent any untoward incidents.”

Local media reported that the car plunged into the drain after the 37-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle during a heavy downpour in the morning. She managed to save herself, while Mr Choo ended up aiding her 43-year-old passenger.

A 14-second video of the incident, which was uploaded on Facebook, showed the unnamed woman struggling to hold on to the back of the car amid raging currents in the flood-water-filled drain along a road near Johor’s Kota Tinggi district.

Mr Choo is then seen jumping over the guard rail into the water and pushing the woman to the side of the drain.

His action has received praise from Malaysians, who thanked him and called him a hero.

Describing the incident, Mr Choo, a contractor, said he was driving to get breakfast when his friend, who was in another vehicle in front of him, suddenly stopped his car.

They both got out of their cars, and he was shocked to see a car being swept away by flood waters in the monsoon drain, with a woman clinging on for dear life. He said he did not think twice about leaping in to save her.

Mr Choo credited his swimming skills and stamina for being able to save the victim without endangering himself.

“I am good at swimming and have navigated hilly and challenging areas before. Money can still be earned, but if a life is lost, there’s no replacement,” the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Kota Tinggi police chief Hussin Zamora said the victims were rescued by the members of the public “in the nick of time”, reported national news agency Bernama.

He said the driver was unhurt, while the passenger sustained minor injuries and received outpatient treatment from a medical facility.