DEVSURIA Subramaniam, 37, married Indian national S.Muralidas, 34, about eight years ago. He worked as a gas delivery man while she was a housewife. They both have a son who is now four years of age.

Muralidas had stayed in Malaysia for 16 years legally on a work permit before continuing to stay on illegally when he failed to renew his permit. He then gave up, got finger printed and returned to India with his wife and son.

In India, the couple lived with Muralidas’ family in his hometown in Tamilnadu. However, problems arose because Devasuria and her mother-in-law could not come to terms with each other. During the time, Devasuria was physically abused by her mother-in-law.

As her three-month visa came to an end, Muralidas who now works as a rickshaw driver was forced to borrow money from money lenders to purchase tickets for his wife and son for their return to Malaysia. He, however, could not join them as he is barred from entering Malaysia for the next five years for having stayed illegally in the country.

Devasuria and her son had to then travel six hours from her husband’s hometown to the airport. However, they were stopped from boarding their flight at the airport because she had overstayed for 17 days in India.

Distraught and unwilling to return to her husband’s hometown, Devasuria begged for help through a video clip she made herself, which has since gone viral on social media.

Upon hearing of Devasuria’s plight, social media was flooded with comments from the public urging the woman and son to be rescued home – many urged the government, particularly the MIC and the foreign ministry, to step in and rescue their fellow Malaysian while the public continued to share Devasuria’s plight, hoping to find help.

Lucky for her, as of the time this article was written, Malindo Airways had offered flight tickets for Devasuria and her son; a Malaysian NGO had offered to make transportation and accommodation arrangements; and a Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer had begun raising funds to pay for her fine and money borrowed from money lenders.

I am sure many found Devasuria’s tale to be heart warming, especially since Malaysians of different race and religion came together to help this poor woman who was stranded in a foreign country.

So nice, kan?

But I do wonder why did we not show the same compassion towards other similar cases which took place a few years ago?

Let me refresh your memory.

Suriati fell in love with an Indonesian man named Madon, when she was living with her parents in Baling, Kedah. After three years of their secret relationship, Madon convinced Suriati to follow him to his hometown.

Without her parents’ knowledge, the girl followed her boyfriend from Baling to Johor Bahru, before leaving Malaysia illegally through Batam.

Three days after arriving at his hometown in Lombok, Madon, 30, married Suriati, 17.

A year later, their daughter was born and Suriati began missing home.

But since she had left the country illegally and was married without proper documentation, Suriati could not return home.

She and husband were also not financially capable to get the proper documentations done in order to enable her to return home to Baling.

Suriati then contacted her siblings and parents asking for their help.

That was when Suriati’s family reached out to Abdul Azeez of Biro Pengaduan Awam, Kelab Putera 1Malaysia (KP1M), requesting for help.

Having assisted some 50 Malaysians, most of whom were girls below 16 years of age, who were stranded in foreign countries for various reasons, Abdul Azeez and his team at KP1M successfully executed a rescue mission and brought Suriati home.

Now, unlike the positive comments received following Devasuria’s plight, KP1M’s rescue mission however received tremendous criticism from the public. Some questioned the need to rescue Suriati who left on her own free will; some claimed Suriati deserved what she got for marrying an Indonesian; many questioned the need for KP1M to use public funds to rescue Suriati from her own mistake; and many questioned the need for the government to poke its nose in private matters of others.

Comparing Devasuria’s case and Suriati’s case, I feel confused.

While the ordinary Malaysians plead for the government’s assistance to rescue one 37 year old woman who knowingly made a decision to marry a foreigner and follow him out of the country, relying on borrowed money to return home, they seem to have denied the plight of another woman who was merely 17 years old when she followed a foreigner out of the country.

Why the double standards?

Why can’t we be compassionate to everyone without personal judgement or racism?

I do hope we are matured enough as a society to learn from our mistakes through self inquiry and self reflection. 

Let this be a reminder for us to learn to restraint our selfishness and aggression, and make effort to be more gentle, kind, generous and compassion to everyone from all walks of life. - December 7, 2017. 

* Fa Abdul is a passionate storyteller and a resident agitator of the idiots in society. Well-known for her straight-talking sarcasm and occasional foul mouth, she juggles between her work as a writer, producer and director.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.