IF he hadn't stopped to help, a man's life would have been in danger.

Cabby Tan Choon Kwang was on his way to meet a friend for a tea break in Jurong around 2 am on 19 Feb, when he spotted a family of three trying to hail a taxi at the foot of their block.

The man, Mr Moo Man Siau, 48, was clutching at his heart. It looked like he had difficulty breathing.

The CityCab driver had suffered a heart attack himself, five years ago, and knew the warning signs.

He rushed Mr Moo, his wife Madam Chew Siong Goh, and their teenage son to the nearby National University Hospital.

Mr Tan kept checking in the mirror to see how they were in the back seat. Mr Moo said it felt as if someone was squeezing his heart, and his wife was very worried.

When they arrived at the hospital, Mr Tan urged the family to go in without delay. He didn't accept payment.

And thanks to the cabby's prompt help, Mr Moo, a welder, could be examined before serious complications arose.

Doctors found he had suffered a mild heart attack.

On 4 Mar, Mr Moo and his wife visited the cabby at ComfortDelGro's headquarters. They presented him with a hamper as a token of their appreciation. 'We are very thankful to Mr Tan,' Mr Moo said.

The couple managed to get in touch with Mr Tan as their son had taken note of the taxi's licence plate number. Madam Chew said: 'At the hospital, I asked my son to key the number into his handphone.'

In case any cameras had caught Mr Tan driving very fast, this could at least help clear his name, she explained.

Mr Moo was kept at the hospital for two nights as a precaution. He is still on medication, but his condition is now stable.

When asked why he had declined payment, Mr Tan said: 'I had not started the meter, I didn't think about it. So I didn't know how much it would cost.

'I just tried to do my job. I was concentrating on the road.'

He estimated that the ride from Jurong West Street 61 to the hospital would have cost about $15, though he added 'it depends on how you tackle the road'.

Ms Tammy Tan, group corporate communications officer of ComfortDelGro, said: 'We are glad that Cabby Tan's quick actions have saved Mr Moo's life.'

By Aditi Shivaramakrishnan, newsroom intern

This article was first published in The New Paper on Mar 11, 2008.