Hindu mum in Malaysia gets interfaith boost in race to find abducted daughter before she turns 18

PETALING JAYA – With just months before her abducted daughter turns 18, M. Indira Gandhi, a Hindu, has received an unexpected lifeline: Malay-Muslim activists, including a prominent Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) leader, have pledged to help reunite her with the child she has not seen in 16 years.

The intervention on Dec 29 marks a significant shift in a case that has long involved religious and political sensitivities, with Muslim activists historically reluctant to wade into what many viewed as a contentious faith-based dispute.

In 2009, Prasana Diksa was 11 months old when she was forcibly taken by Madam Indira’s then husband after he converted to Islam. He went into hiding amid a custody battle, and the girl’s whereabouts remain a mystery.

The renewed push to find Prasana comes as she approaches her 18th birthday on April 8, 2026, after which she will legally be an adult and custody orders may become moot. The urgency has galvanised Muslim scholar Zaharudin Muhammad – son-in-law of PAS president Hadi Awang – to step forward after being approached recently by Madam Indira’s supporters.

Mr Zaharudin, who chairs the Sungai Buloh division of PAS, reframed the 16-year ordeal as a humanitarian issue transcending religious lines, pledging to leverage his influence among the Islamist party’s reported 1.3 million members to facilitate a reunion.

“This is not about legal issues for me, and it is no longer about religion or matters of faith. What concerns me is the humanitarian aspect, and this is also a responsibility in Islam,” Mr Zaharudin told a press conference.

Despite his association with the biggest Islamist party in Malaysia, Mr Zaharudin said he has joined the initiative in his personal capacity and denies any political motive.

He also said he would lean on his experience in reuniting families of different faiths in helping Madam Indira.

“Even before social media existed, I used to print thousands of posters to seek information and help reunite families. This is not my first time helping converts,” he said.

Mr Zaharudin dismissed concerns regarding potential backlash, including from within PAS or the wider Muslim community, stressing that the effort should not be misunderstood. Treating it as a religious dispute, he added, risks obscuring a basic humanitarian responsibility.

Among those who have answered Mr Zaharudin’s call is social media activist Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, also known online as Ratu Naga.

With more than 364,000 followers on TikTok and over 203,000 on Facebook, she has vowed to use her social media presence to sustain public attention. She also warned against allowing the issue to become a communal flashpoint.

“Questions of faith belong to the individual. But the relationship between a mother and her child is not something we have the right to break,” she told the press.

Madam Indira’s bid to find her daughter is

one of Malaysia’s longest-running custody disputes.

The dispute started after her former husband, who now goes by the name Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, took Prasana and changed her religion to Islam without Madam Indira’s consent.

The activist intervention comes as the legal journey remains stalled despite

a 2018 landmark decision in the federal court

in Madam Indira’s favour.

On Nov 22, Madam Indira joined her supporters in a

Walk for Justice to Bukit Aman

, the federal police headquarters, to press for action.

In response, Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said on Nov 26 that the police were still tracing Prasana and her father. Mr Khalid also said there is a travel ban against Mr Riduan, but this has been disputed by Madam Indira’s lawyer.

Investigations are ongoing amid allegations that he has been drawing petrol subsidies and financial aid while in hiding.

Civil society groups have echoed the call for enforcement of court orders. Ms Latheefa Koya of legal rights group Lawyers for Liberty, who brought the activists together, said the government still has outstanding legal obligations to Madam Indira.

“The police have the capability to track down serious security threats. It is difficult to understand why this case remains unresolved,” Ms Latheefa said in the press conference.

Madam Indira’s lawyer, Mr Rajesh Nagarajan, said the help extended by the activists and a PAS leader would help open doors while sustaining public attention.

“The situation has always been about a mother being unlawfully separated from her child despite clear court orders,” Mr Rajesh told The Straits Times.

Meanwhile, Madam Indira reiterated that she would respect her daughter’s choice if she wishes to remain a Muslim. “I hope our Muslim friends can help to find Prasana. If she wants to be Muslim, I have no issue with that.”

She also wondered whether her daughter had sat the SPM examinations, Malaysia’s national secondary school-leaving exam, which ended on Dec 23.

Madam Indira acknowledged that Prasana, who may be living under a different identity, might not even know her mother is looking for her.

“At the end of the day, I want to be at peace knowing that I have done everything to find her. She may not know this now. I hope one day she will,” she said.