Siti Aishah’s sister reaches out to her with a letter through the police, says activist

Kamar Mahtum Abdul Wahab sends her sister, Siti Aishah, a letter in the hope of meeting the latter. - The Malaysian Insider pic, November 28, 2013.Malaysian teacher Kamar Mahtum Abdul Wahab has taken the first step in her efforts to meet her sister Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab, who was allegedly enslaved by a Maoist group, by sending her a letter through the British police.

Activist, Hishamuddin Rais, through his blogspot Tukar Tiub early today, said the letter was handed to Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK Datuk Seri Zakaria Sulong during a meeting with him in London yesterday.

Kamar had asked Zakaria for his help to pass the letter to Siti Aishah.

The High Commission is liaising with the case investigating officer Chief Inspector Neil Hamilton in its attempt to meet Siti Aishah.

Kamar, a former school teacher, left for London on Tuesday night in the hope of meeting her long lost sister, Siti Aishah, who was one of the three women rescued from 30 years of alleged slavery in South London.

Kamar, whose hopes of finding Siti Aishah was rekindled following recent reports in the media, admitted that she was worried if her sister would want to meet her.

"If she is my sister, I am happy. But would she be happy to see me?

"She might have changed but I have a feeling it is her. I will still think of her as my sister if it is really her," the former teacher said.

Siti Aishah, she pointed out, has paid for all her mistakes.

"She was a smart student. She should do something for the country," she went on, holding back tears.

Kamar revealed that Siti Aishah's disappearance had left the family heartbroken.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar yesterday confirmed that the Malaysian woman rescued from a house in Lambeth, London, on October 25, is Siti Aishah.

The other two were identified as 30-year-old Rosie Davis and a 57-year-old Irish woman.

The British media reported that the three women had apparently been enslaved by a Maoist cell.

Khalid said Siti Aishah was a wanted person in the 1970s for participating in communists activities and police continued to monitor her movements when she fled to London.

He, however, said police will not pursue the matter further if Siti Aishah decided to return to the country as she is no longer wanted by the police.

“What she was doing was more than 30 years ago and there is no need to pursue the issue any further now,” he said.

Police is also checking if Siti Aishah is still a Malaysian citizen since she has been staying in London for 30 years.

Meanwhile, former student activist Hishamuddin Rais, who had first indicated the possible identity of the Malaysian "slave" as Siti Aishah in a report carried by The Malaysian Insider, said that he will be helping Kamar as he knows Siti Aishah since she was a child.

"In fact, her sister used to be my teacher in school. In London, years ago, her brother approached me for help to locate her," he added.

Hishamuddin, who went into self-exile in London in the 1970s, said Siti Aishah was active with Malaysian students in a leftist group that called itself "New Malayan Youth" in the British capital city at that time.

Kamar confirmed this information to The Daily Telegraph, adding that Siti Aishah had gone missing 30 years ago in London after joining a Maoist group.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the Malaysian High Commission in London has appealed to British authorities to allow them to speak to her.

"We are naturally concerned and are doing whatever we can to assist her. This includes sending her home, if she is indeed Malaysian,” he was quoted as saying.

Zakaria pointed out that the High Commission could not confirm the woman's nationality based solely on non-governmental organisation Freedom Charity's declaration and appealed to those who have missing relatives in London to come forward.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman had previously said that Wisma Putra was seeking details on the case.

British dailies named those arrested for allegedly enslaving the three women as Indian-born Aravindan Balakrishnan, also known as "Comrade Bala", and his Tanzanian wife, Chanda.

Hishamuddin pointed out that the male suspect was also called "Chairman Ara" and was from Singapore.

Police have confirmed that the couple was arrested in the 1970s, without disclosing any details.

Detectives have refused to confirm the identities of the couple, who are now on bail until January, pending further investigations but said the captive women were brainwashed and had reported being beaten but did not appear to have been sexually abused.

They were occasionally allowed out of the house and detectives are working to understand the "invisible handcuffs" that were used to control them.

Police revealed on Saturday that the two older victims had met their male captor through a "shared political ideology" and initially lived with him as part of a collective.

Police said on Monday they were investigating 13 addresses linked to the couple who came to Britain in the 1960s and are suspected of immigration offences as well as involvement in forced labour.

Detectives carried out house-to-house inquiries over the weekend in Brixton, one of London's poorer, more ethnically diverse districts that was the scene of anti-government riots in the 1980s.

The exact address where the women were held has not been identified, but the police operation was centred on a modern, low-rise block of flats in Brixton's Peckford Place.