'I knew my mother's blood runs through her': Rebuffed but Siti Aishah's sister has NO REGRETS

LONDON - SITI Aishah Abdul Wahab promised her sister that she would go back in nine months' time, donned the tudung that she gave her and said goodbye.

That is the memory that 73-year-old retired teacher Kamar Mahtum will bring back with her after the emotional reunion on Thursday night with her long lost sister, widely reported as being enslaved by a Maoist cult south of the city for the past 30 years.

The 40-minute meeting, which was made possible with the help of the British police and the Malaysian High Commission here, was held at a secret place. Met by the Malaysian media at Heathrow airport before her departure back home yesterday, Kamar Mahtum related how she sobbed loudly upon seeing her sister before telling off Siti Aishah for putting the family on an emotional roller-coaster over the past 45 years.

"I told her, 'How could you do this to us? We love you.' When mother was ill, she asked, 'Where is Siti Aishah?' You said you were coming home. How do you feel now?" Kamar Mahtum said as she described the meeting.

But she was "incredibly composed"

According to her, Siti Aishah was incredibly composed. And when she was asked to make efforts to be near Allah, Siti Aishah said she had lots of friends who loved and cared for her.

When Kamar Mahtum asked her to promise to read the Quran, Siti Aishah held her hands and promised to do so. She told her that the tudung and telekung were from Mecca and Siti Aishah wore the tudung immediately and had it on until they bade goodbye.

"Before coming here, I was told I had a 25 per cent chance of seeing her. Now, I am very happy. Happy that the Malaysian High Commission helped me, and happy with the assurance from High Commissioner Datuk Seri Zakaria Sulong that she was not hunted by the Malaysian police.

"She looked well. When I hugged her, I knew she is still my sister, I knew my mother's blood runs through her," she said, breaking down a few times during the interview as she recalled that brief but emotional meeting.

Pestered her for a short note

Kamar Mahtum said after some persuasion, she managed to get Siti Aishah to write a short note in an exercise book that she had brought with her.

In it, Siti Aishah wrote: "Dear everybody at home, I am very happy to have met Kak Mar today, I am well & hope to see you all sometime in the near future! Love from me, Aisha".

She said she was hugely relieved that she had met up with her long lost sister. She said Siti Aishah was far from being a slave as reported by the media.

"Why does the media use the word hamba (slave)? I feel slighted by this."

Kamar Mahtum, who was accompanied by activist Hishamuddin Rais, was sent off at the airport by Malaysian High Commission officials. - NST/Agencies