By Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 10: A worried parent is pleading for the safe return of her daughter, Alicia Kho Sing Hui, after losing contact with her for nearly two months following her claim that she had travelled to Hong Kong.
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) chief Milton Foo said Alicia’s parents had sought his assistance to help locate their 29-year-old daughter, who has been missing since May 17.
“A police report was lodged on July 5 over Alicia’s disappearance, while her parents had also submitted a consular case report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Sarawak office yesterday, together with relevant documents including her passport and an invitation letter for a China visit found in her room,” he said in a pre-recorded press conference today.
He said Alicia, a single mother who is divorced, has two young children — an eight-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son — who are currently staying with their grandparents.
Foo said Alicia’s parents believed she might have travelled to China or Hong Kong to meet a 22-year-old man from China whom she had allegedly met through an online gambling platform.
“The parents only found out about her trip after Alicia told them she had already landed in Hong Kong. Before that, they did not know she had left,” he said.
He said Alicia had remained in contact with her mother through WeChat from April until May 17, mainly discussing matters related to her children and their schooling, but all communication stopped after that.
“For about two months, they had no news from their daughter. They were very worried and had no choice but to lodge a police report and seek help,” he added.
Foo also raised concerns over the invitation letter for a China visa found by the family, describing it as suspicious.
“If she was going to Hong Kong, I don’t think a visa would be required. Even for China, if the stay is only one month, I don’t think this would be necessary,” he said.
Foo said the information in the letter stated that the man Alicia was allegedly in contact with was from Henan province, which he noted was far from Hong Kong.
“However, we leave it to the authorities to investigate and obtain a definite answer. This is what I can do for the parents at this moment, and I will continue to follow up with the relevant officials,” he said.
Foo said the parents’ main concern was whether Alicia had actually entered Hong Kong, as claimed, or whether she had travelled elsewhere for unknown purposes.
“They want to know where their daughter is. She is their only daughter,” he said, adding that authorities could verify her whereabouts by checking immigration records to determine whether she entered Hong Kong.
He urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant authorities to assist the family in locating Alicia as soon as possible.
“There are two young children waiting for her at home. Please come back. If Alicia reads this news, please keep in touch with your family members because your parents are very worried. They do not even know whether you are safe or not,” Foo said.
He added that the parents’ emotional distress was evident as they had been left uncertain about their daughter’s condition.
“They said they don’t even know whether the daughter is dead or alive. When these words come from the parents themselves, you can imagine their feelings, their emotions, their worry and their upset,” he said. — DayakDaily
