Top psychiatrist warns of impact on Loh's children

 

Malaysian Mental Health Association president Dr Andrew Mohanraj has expressed deep concerns over the psychological impacts of the public tussle for custody of the three children of single mother Loh Siew Hong.

He told Malaysiakini that under such circumstances, it is best for the emotional and physical bonds with parents, or in some cases a parent, to remain intact for the normal development of a child.

"Children who are separated from their parents at a young age will generally have some long-lived and far-reaching psychological impact, even in later life as adults.

"As children, they can regress due to the breakdown of emotional and physical bonds with the parent or parents, resulting in anxiety and depressive symptoms affecting their school performance.

"These painful feelings of anxiety can lead to their own disruption of personal and social relationships as adults," he said.

According to Andrew, while they may seem to be coping outwardly, the children are being placed in situations of unbelievable pressure that could have an impact later on in their lives.

Single mother Loh succeeded earlier this week in her legal bid to quash the illegal detention of her three children who had been unilaterally converted to Islam.

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur allowed the habeas corpus application by the woman of Buddhist faith against the Social Welfare Department and a religious preacher who took care of the children at one point.

The three siblings, two twins aged 14 and a 10-year-old, were abducted in 2019 and her ex-husband, Nagahswaran Muniandy - now jailed on drug-related charges - allegedly converted the children to Islam without Loh's knowledge.

For the record, Loh was awarded full custody of her children on March 31, 2021, and earlier, on Dec 20, 2019, she had been granted an interim ex-parte order to have sole custody, care and control over the children.

She was also reported to have filed a separate court action to cancel the conversion of the three children to Islam.

Impact of an abusive environment

Loh said that the children were abducted when she was recovering from severe injuries suffered as a result of marital abuse.

According to Andrew, this is another reason why her children must be treated very delicately.

Dr Andrew Mohanraj

"The psychological impact of being a victim of domestic violence is well documented.

"It can range from the victim taking self-blame for the situation to displaying grief, anger, depression and anxiety. Domestic violence is also a strong predictor of suicide.

"As for the children who witnessed interparental conflict and violence (and who may not be victims) very often themselves display problematic behaviours and that will affect their cognitive development in terms of thought processes being impaired.

"They may act out in reaction to the situation, such as by fighting in school, playing truant or engaging in risky behaviours. Witnessing repetitive violence can set the stage for children to walk the same line in adulthood," Andrew warned.

While the children have been reunited with the mother, some right-wing religious groups are believed to be trying to interfere in their future and play a role in determining their faith.

Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin had even made an earlier claim that the children did not want to go back to living with their mother, but this was disproven when the children were captured in a video with their mother, identifying themselves by their Hindu names and saying that they wished to be returned to her.

Low herself told Malaysiakini that she did not wish her children to be exposed to pressure, confusion or hurt anymore.

"They have been through so much. All I want to be now is a good mother who will raise them well with much love and care," she added. - Mkini