Brother of S’pore woman who left for Cambodia says family will listen to her concerns
The brother of a 20-year-old Singaporean woman who left for Cambodia without telling her family beforehand has apologised to the public for “everything that has happened”.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Sunday (2 Aug), Syafiq Siregar, brother of Siti Aishah, asked for privacy for his family to “heal”.
Source: Syafiq Siregar on Facebook
‘Incredibly distressing’ time for family
Syafiq described the past few days as “incredibly distressing” for his family, especially for his mother, who “suddenly lost contact” with Aishah after seeing her every day for 20 years.
The family could only “think of the worst”, he explained, after his sister went missing without any updates.
They also found large transactions made to a stranger, he noted, adding:
I believe any parent or sibling would have thought the same.
No intention to hurt feelings of people of Cambodia: Brother
Syafia also apologised if any words were “taken out of context”, saying:
Our intentions were never to hurt the feelings of the people of Cambodia.
He also noted that they are unable to control what others say, report or speculate.
This came after Cambodian netizens expressed concern over their country’s portrayal as a “scamming country” or “human trafficking destination”, which was unfounded in this case and had hurt the country’s reputation.
In fact, the family was received hospitably in Cambodia and received “endless support” from Cambodians, which they were “extremely touched” by, he added.
Source: Norbert Braun on Unsplash
Family didn’t have access to woman’s emails before she disappeared: Brother
Syafiq took the opportunity to clarify “certain claims” that had been “taken out of context”.
He explained that the family did not have access to Aishah’s emails before her disappearance, but had taken “necessary steps” to locate her when she became uncontactable.
His parents do not pick Aishah up from school every day, but only occasionally and when requested, or when they offered to help, he said, adding:
She was never forced or compelled to do so.
The clarification came after netizens had accused the family of being controlling after it was reported that they had checked Aishah’s emails and were supposed to pick her up from school on the day she left for Cambodia.
Source: Khmer Times
Letter that woman wrote before leaving for Cambodia submitted to SPF
In response to Aishah telling the Cambodian police that she had left a letter for her family before leaving, Syafiq said that this letter was submitted to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) when they made their police report.
However, her father and aunt did not mention this letter in their social media posts when they appealed to the public for information on her whereabouts.
The father’s social media accounts were subsequently suspended for “unknown reasons”, Syafiq noted.
Source: Syafiq Siregar on Facebook
Checks by MS News showed that the father’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were temporarily deactivated.
Nevertheless, his father is extremely grateful for the support he has received, Syafiq maintained.
Family ‘saddened’ by ‘negative comments’
On Aishah’s claims of “stressful” living conditions in Singapore, Syafiq said his family acknowledged her feelings and takes them “seriously”.
He pledged that they would “listen, understand” her experience and address her concerns “privately and respectfully” as a family.
But the family was “saddened” by the speculation and “negative comments” directed at them, he noted, adding:
Those who know us as a family understand the close bond and care we have always shared.
Source: Cambodian Information Ministry via CNA
Family seeking help from ‘relevant organisations’
Thus, Syafiq asked the public to refrain from making further assumptions or hurtful comments towards Aishah or his family.
The family is reaching out to “relevant organisations” to help them understand, support and rebuild trust with her as much as possible, he said, adding:
Our love for our sister is why we will try our hardest to ensure her safety and well-being.
He hoped the public would give them “room and privacy” to heal.
Brother thanks the authorities for helping to locate woman
Finally, Syafiq thanked the authorities of Singapore and Cambodia, including the Ambassadors, embassy staff and police, who “worked tirelessly” in locating Aishah and ensuring her safe return.
While “certain organisations” had claimed responsibility for finding her, these claims are inaccurate, he said.
As Aishah is now safely home in Singapore, any official updates regarding her situation should come from her family or the relevant authorities, he added.
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Featured image adapted from Syafiq Siregar on Facebook and ឧត្តមសេនីយ៍ឯក ជួន ណារិន្ទ (Phnom Penh police chief Chuon Narin) on Facebook,
