Locked out of her home, Malaysian woman rents crane to take her four storeys up

Deciding that it was too expensive to break into her home after her electronic door lock malfunctioned, Ms Tammy Ng looked for an alternative way in.

Her solution? Hire a lorry crane to take her up.

Ms Ng, who lives on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Selangor, told The Straits Times she returned home on Jan 21 to find that her lock had malfunctioned, and her master key was inside the unit.

The 40-year-old getai artist said she considered engaging a locksmith but was told the issue could be resolved only by breaking the door, which would cost about RM800 (S$227).

This would also require her to replace her fire-rated door and the damaged anti-theft electronic lock, which would run up a further RM3,000 bill.

Unwilling to pay that amount, Ms Ng wondered what she could do instead, and found inspiration after she saw someone using a lorry crane to cut trees along the road near her home. “The crane rental costs RM500, which I thought was very affordable,” she said.

A four-minute video clip of her returning home in style – and gleefully waving to onlookers below as the crane lifts her to her balcony – garnered over 2,900 likes and 600 comments on Facebook.

In Ms Ng’s post, she said it was her first time riding a crane and it was a “cool” experience. Her wallet probably agrees.