A Malaysian man has taken to social media to warn others to choose their driving instructors carefully after alleging that his two-month learning experience left him mentally distressed.
The man, identified as Ian, told WeirdKaya that he paid RM2,100 for driving lessons with an instructor named Yew, who was recommended by his mother’s friends.
Ian said he initially considered the fee reasonable, particularly because Yew had offered to help secure earlier driving test slots, which suited his tight schedule.
However, he claimed the lessons soon became an unpleasant experience, citing the instructor’s impatience, frequent use of vulgarities and behaviour that he said should have raised concerns from the beginning.
In a lengthy post on Threads, Ian described several incidents that he considered red flags.
He alleged that during his second lesson, Yew spent the first 45 minutes driving him somewhere to have breakfast, effectively using up his paid lesson time. Ian claimed the same pattern continued during the remaining three lessons, with the instructor occasionally taking him to buy cigarettes.
Ian also criticised what he described as the instructor’s rigid teaching methods and contradictory instructions.
He said Yew would shout at him for being “stupid” if he turned the steering wheel one-and-a-half rotations instead of one, even when adjusting for his distance from a divider or circuit boundary.
However, Ian claimed that following the instructor’s instructions precisely could also lead to criticism, with Yew allegedly berating him for being unable to think independently.
He further alleged that the instructor humiliated him by shouting insults during lessons and scrutinising his every move when he attempted to practise independently.
Despite these experiences, Ian said he continued with the lessons, adding that he tried to be understanding of the instructor’s behaviour.
The condition of the training car added to his frustration. Ian described it as a 20-year-old vehicle with 290,000km on the clock, peeling steering wheel covering, frayed seatbelts, torn seat covers and a dirty floor.
He also claimed the engine was in poor condition and that the car stalled four times while he struggled to drive it uphill, with the instructor allegedly shouting at him throughout the ordeal.
Ian said the air-conditioning was never switched on during circuit lessons. He later discovered, according to his account, that Yew had deliberately kept it off to avoid putting additional strain on the engine.
He also alleged that the instructor called him the “stingiest student” he had encountered because Ian opted for one hour of additional lessons instead of two, despite the instructor having previously said an hour was sufficient.
Asked why he did not change instructors, Ian said he had already invested considerable time and money in the lessons and worried that switching providers might complicate the process or force him to start over.
He said his priority was to obtain his driving licence and move on, which led him to continue despite his concerns.
Ian urged prospective learners not to tolerate bullying from driving instructors and stressed that paying customers deserved to be treated with respect.
He also encouraged those facing similar experiences to speak up and explore alternative options as early as possible, adding that other learners’ negative experiences with Malaysian driving instructors should not make such behaviour acceptable.
