MP urges police to step up efforts to reunite mother with missing daughter

BUKIT Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid has urged the authorities to step up their efforts to find the missing daughter of bank officer V. Thevitthra. The three-year-old was taken away by Thevitthra estranged husband.

Syerleena, a DAP Wanita leader, said the fact that the mother had sought help from the public underscored the gravity of the situation.

"I am profoundly concerned about the alarming situation involving Thevitthra and her missing daughter. This tragic case highlights the urgent need for stronger protective measures and efficient legal processes to prevent such heartbreaking incidents," she said,

"I urge the authorities to intensify their efforts to locate the child and ensure her safe return. International cooperation is crucial, and I hope all agencies, both domestic and international, will prioritise this case," Syerleena said.

Last September, Thevitthra's husband fled with their daughter amid a divorce.

The man allegedly took the child despite a Shah Alam High Court order granting temporary custody to Thevitthra. The husband was granted weekly visitation rights.

Thevitthra had reported her daughter's disappearance the day she vanished, but was allegedly told by police that the child was safe with the father.

The husband applied for a passport for their daughter and fled through the Johor immigration checkpoint. They went to Singapore before Interpol confirmed that he had taken the child to India.

Syerleena said Malaysian police must be better trained and equipped to handle such sensitive cases.

This situation underscores the importance of a robust legal framework to safeguard the rights of children and their custodial parents, she added.

"The government must ensure that court orders are strictly enforced and that there are no lapses in border control processes that could enable such abductions," said Syerleena.

In a press conference on Thursday, Thevitthra pleaded for good sense to prevail among her in-laws and husband .

Senior lawyer S. Raveentharan said the law must be respected regardless of how emotional a family row might be.

He said that when a report is filed, the police must act swiftly as the custodians of the law. – June 29, 2024.