Sunday, January 27, 2008

Girl, 13: 'Saya Sayang Dia' (I love him - Boy, 17)

'Love' supposedly brought a 13-year old girl from a remote town in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia to a remote Lamaraya Island (Southeast of Pulau Sulawesi, Indonesia!

And she's finally back to home to Balik Pulau ('return to the island', literally ;0). Read on the news articles below:-

BALIK PULAU, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- A 13-year-old girl who went missing here last month was found safe on a remote island in Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia, on Sunday.

Maslina Siadin was found safe in Pulau Lamaraya by her father, Siadin Rashid, 44, who had spent over a month looking for her.

The Form One student of Sekolah Menengah Seri Balik Pulau was believed to have been abducted by an Indonesian from her house in Kampung Pondok Upeh.

"Thank God she was found safe and has returned home," Siadin told reporters here Friday.

Maslina was reported missing between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Dec 16 last year. She left home alone and did not return.

Siadin said that after news of Maslina's disappearance hit the newspapers, two men told him that she had been abducted by a man who had worked as a labourer in the area.

He lodged a police report on Jan 10 and, with the help of police and Balik Pulau Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Hilmi Yahaya, approached the Indonesian embassy in Penang for assistance.

On Jan 17, Siadin and his brother, Jalil Rashid, 50, an immigration officer, left for Jakarta to track down Maslina.

From Jakarta they took an eight-hour flight to Kendari, the nearest airport to Pulau Lamaraya.

"On arrival, we took a three-hour taxi ride to the interior and were told by the local authority that Maslina and a man had been detained at the Sulawesi Tenggara police station.

"We went straight to the station where a confused Maslina rushed and hugged me crying."

Siadin said they had to do some hard bargaining with the Indonesian immigration and police before they could bring her home on Tuesday.

"Maslina had entered Indonesia illegally at Tanjong Pinang, Riau, and then took a one-week boat trip to reach Pulau Lamaraya," he added.

Looking still confused, Maslina declined to be interviewed by reporters.

"She will only cry when asked where she had gone to as she is still confused and did not know what had happened," Siadin said.

Hilmi, who was present at Siadin's house, said he was happy to see that the episode had come to a happy ending.

"We must always be careful and not to trust people easily especially foreigners," he said.

-- BERNAMA: "
Penang Missing Girl Found In Sulawesi Tenggara"

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