KUALA LUMPUR/LONDON - In what would be a big slap in the face for Malaysian officials who over the past week have been gushing over the discovery that a Malay woman had allegedly been enslaved by a Maoist extremist in London, the 69-year-old woman has snubbed their calls and those of her family's to return to her country of birth.
Not only that, Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab has refused to renounce her leftist beliefs which would run in direct contradiction to Islam. In Malaysia, which is now experiencing an escalation in Islamic fundamentalism and even extremism, all Malays must embrace the religion or face punishment including jail and rehabilitation.
Indeed, there is no freedom of choice for the Malays, although other races in the country are allowed to practice other faiths.
"Siti Aishah has said she was not anyone’s slave. That is her ideological belief. She also does not want to return to Malaysia," Malaysian activist Hishamuddin Rais was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Inside
Siti Aishah was allowed by the UK authorities to meet with her sister Kamar Mahutm, who arrived in London earlier this week to persuade her to return.
Kamar, 73, met up with her sister - thought to be the first time since her family flew to the UK to try to convince her to return home in the 1980s - at a location several hours away from London.
She said: "Basically it was a very emotional day, very revealing.
“But then I was contented. I got what I wanted and I can go home with beautiful memories and I’ve a feeling she may want to come home eventually and we are working hard to persuade her.”
'Imprisoned': House of alleged slave master Aravindan Balakrishnan and his wife Chanda
Phil Harris / Daily Mirror
Scotland Yard is investigating claims that Siti Aishah, who moved to Britain in 1968, and two other women were held as slaves for 30 years in a flat in Brixton, London.
Aravindan Balakrishnan, 73, known as Comrade Bala, and his wife, Chanda, 67, were arrested last week and bailed to January in connection with the allegations.
The couple ran an extreme left wing Maosit militant group which had several clashes with the police during the height of their activism in the 1970s.
Before the reunion, Mrs Mahtum said it was her “sincere dream and hope” that she would see her sister again.
When the retired teacher arrived in London on Wednesday, she had brought with her a letter begging Aishah to return “to the fold” and be a part of her life again.
In it she wrote: “Aishah we love you very much, we miss you and have been missing you desperately all these years.
“In our family’s ups and downs in life, we always thought that it would have been a very great difference if you had been there.”
She added: “All of us are waiting with love and hope. We love you Aishah.”
Earlier this week she told how Aishah had moved to Britain in 1968 with her fiancé, Omar Munir, hoping to pursue her studies and have a family.
But it is claimed she fell under the spell of Comrade Bala and his partner Chanda, who were last week arrested on suspicion of holding three women against their will.
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