For nearly two decades, M.Indira Gandhi has lived with only one hope, which is to be reunited with the daughter she last saw as a baby. But she is now facing a painful turning point in her long fight, as the law may soon no longer be able to help her find her child.
Indira Gandhi’s daughter Prasana Diksa was only 11 months old when she was taken away back in 2010 by Indira’s ex-husband, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah. For the past 17 years, Indira has pursued many court cases and appealed to authorities, hoping the legal system could bring Prasana back to her mother.
The possibility is now drawing to a close. As according to the law, under the Child Act 2001, recovery orders issued by the court only applies to minors. When Prasana turns 18 on 8th April, she will legally be recognized as an adult. This means authorities can no longer be compelled to locate or reunite her with her mother, effectively ending the legal route that Indira has relied on for years.
The development has been deeply emotional for Indira, who recently learned from her lawyers that the law would no longer support her efforts after her daughter reaches adulthood. Despite knowing this possibility for some time, the reality has been challenging to accept.
“This is something we have already known. They have advised me on that. But as a mother, I am hoping for a miracle,” she said.
Indira now hopes that when Prasana becomes an adult, she might one day reach out on her own. More than anything, she simply wants to know where her daughter is and how she is doing.
“I just want to meet Prasana. She should know by now that she has a biological mother and siblings”, she said.
Prasana also has two older siblings, a 28-year-old sister who lives with Indira in Ipoh and a 27-year-old brother who is currently studying at a local university.
Indira Gandhi’s struggle began in 2009 when she challenged the unilateral conversion of her three children to Islam by Riduan. Although she was granted custody of all her children in 2010, the court order was never carried out, as Riduan had already taken Prasana and disappeared.
The case soon became one of Malaysia’s most closely watched legal battles. In 2018, the Federal Court of Malaysia ruled that the unilateral conversion of the children was invalid, stating that the word “parent” in Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution must refer to both parents if they were alive. While the decision was widely seen as a landmark ruling, it did not bring Indira any closer to finding her youngest daughter.
Rajesh Nagarajan, her lawyer has confirmed that the recovery order issued by the court in 2014 will expire once Prasana turns 18, leaving Indira no further legal mechanism to compel authorities to continue the search. After years, Indira hopes that one day her daughter will learn the truth of her story and find her way back.
Sources: NST
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