THE case of Loh Siew Hong, who was reunited with her children after three years, has given M. Indira Gandhi renewed hope she will get to see her daughter after 13 years.

But unlike Loh’s case where the authorities tracked her children down to a religious home in Perlis, Indira does not have a clue where her daughter, Prasana Diksa, is after the girl was taken away by her father when she was a baby.

Indira told The Malaysian Insight she cannot understand how the police, with all the resources at their disposal, have failed to locate her ex-husband and her child.

“It’s true, Loh’s case has given me renewed hope, but my case is far from over,” the tuition teacher told The Malaysian Insight.

“I’m very happy for Loh. In her case, she got back her children because the authorities knew where they were.

“But, in my case, the authorities have yet to provide any information on her (Prasana’s) whereabouts. We hope that a miracle will happen soon.”

On Monday, Loh succeeded in a legal challenge to overturn the detention of her three children who were unilaterally converted to Islam by her ex-husband who abducted them.

The siblings were abducted in 2019 and her ex-husband, Nagahswaran Muniandy – now jailed on drug-related charges – allegedly converted the children to Islam without Loh’s knowledge.

Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah also quashed the illegal custody of the three children, who were held by the Welfare Department and one individual named Nazirah Nanthakumari Abdullah.

As for the landmark decision of her court case on the unilateral conversion of her children, Indira said that it (the conversions) should not happen.

“I believe the Federal Court’s decision should be followed.

“We understand that every state has its own Islamic law but it should not contradict the Federal Court’s judgment.”

Indira believes that the government should look into this matter more seriously.

“This is so that it will be less of a burden for us single mothers who face conversions of children who are minors.

“This should not be taking place in a multiracial country like ours,” she said.

In 2018, the Federal Court quashed the unilateral conversions of Indira’s children – Prasana and two older siblings.

The apex court upheld the nullification of the religious conversions by only one parent and affirmed custody to the mother.

In Loh’s case, Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said he will ensure Loh’s children remain as Muslims.

The 14-year-old twin girls and 10-year-old boy were converted to Islam at the request of Loh’s ex-husband, who abducted the children when Loh was hospitalised three years ago.

Indira is now waiting for her Muslim convert ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah to be located and the girl to be returned to her as ordered by the court.

She was granted custody of Prasana, whose unilateral conversion to Islam by Riduan has been nullified by the court.

Riduan is now a fugitive for violating the Ipoh High Court’s order in 2014 to return Prasana, leading to a writ of mandamus by the court compelling the inspector-general of police (IGP) to arrest him.

Indira is also suing former IGP Abdul Hamid Bador RM100 million for failing to locate her daughter.

Hamid, who was IGP from May 2019 until his retirement last year, said several times that he, too, wanted justice for Indira and the police were working hard to find Riduan and Prasana, whom some suspect are in southern Thailand.

Hamid, however, had also admitted to knowing Riduan’s whereabouts and was working through an intermediary, but that extraditing him was complicated.

This led to Indira filing a suit against Hamid in 2020, alleging that the then IGP had deliberately and negligently disregarded a mandamus issued by the Federal Court, by failing to investigate or take appropriate action to return Prasana. – February 24, 2022.