Missing S’porean woman, 20, found safe in Cambodia, says she cut off contact with family due to emotional distress
A 20-year-old Singaporean woman who was found safe after being reported missing in Cambodia is said to have travelled there due to emotional distress, deliberately cutting off contact with her family.
The woman, Siti Aishah Siregar Binte Sahat Siregar, was reported missing by her father, Sahat Siregar, in a Facebook post on July 30. In a follow-up post on July 31, he said that she was believed to have travelled to Cambodia on July 28.
According to a report by Phnom Penh-based media outlet Cambodianess, a spokesperson from the Interior Ministry, Touch Sokhak, said on July 31 that immigration officials and Phnom Penh police located Aishah at TK Avenue in Phnom Penh’s Toul Kork district.
“Based on her statement, there has been no criminal activity involved, including unlawful detention or kidnapping,” Sokhak said.
“She said she was under emotional stress and decided to leave her country for Cambodia. She turned off her phone to avoid being contacted by her guardians.”
He added that after arriving in Cambodia, Aishah became anxious about her decision and contacted Cambodian authorities to inform them that she had been reported missing.
Aishah’s older brother, Syafiq Siregar, told CNA that his sister’s last message to their mother said she was going to school on the morning of July 28 — but the family later discovered her WhatsApp and Telegram accounts had been deleted.
Emails also showed that she had transferred hundreds of dollars to an unknown individual in the days leading up to her disappearance.
In a media reply to Stomp on Aug 1, the Singapore police said that the woman was found safe by Cambodian National Police.
“We have reached out to our Cambodian National Police counterpart to obtain more information and to render further assistance as appropriate,” the spokesperson said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Embassy in Phnom Penh are also providing consular support to the family. The Police express appreciation to the Cambodian authorities for their prompt assistance.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a statement from the police.
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