Post by : Badri Ariffin

A 20-year-old Singaporean woman who was reported missing has said she travelled to Cambodia on her own to work as an English teacher and was not forced into any criminal or scam-related activities.

In a video released on Saturday (Aug. 1) after Cambodian police located her, Ms. Aishah Siregar explained that she chose to leave Singapore because she was feeling stressed with life and wanted to "find my own path."

She firmly denied claims that she had been coerced or deceived into travelling to Cambodia.

"It is entirely my choice," she said.

She also stated, "To clarify once again, I have not been involved or been forced to partake in any scamming activities or any criminal activities."

The one-minute video statement was recorded at the Phnom Penh Municipal Police Headquarters and was obtained by CNA from Cambodian authorities.

Cambodian Authorities Confirm Her Account

Singapore police announced on Friday that Cambodian authorities had found Ms. Aishah safe in Cambodia.

According to reports from Cambodia's Ministry of Interior, she told investigators that personal family issues were the reason for her trip. She also said she had intentionally stopped communicating with her family after leaving Singapore.

The Khmer Times, citing findings from the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams, reported that Ms. Aishah departed Singapore on Jul. 28 aboard Emirates flight EK-348 and arrived at Techo International Airport later that day.

Family Feared She Had Been Lured by Scammers

Before leaving, Ms. Aishah sent her mother a message saying that she was going to school.

When her family later went to pick her up, they discovered that both her WhatsApp and Telegram accounts had been deleted. They were also unable to contact her because her phone line was no longer active.

After returning home, the family noticed that her passport was missing and reported her disappearance to the police. They later found an email containing a flight itinerary for Cambodia.

These developments led the family to fear that she had been tricked into travelling to Cambodia by scammers. They publicly appealed for help in locating her.

Brother Confirms Her Safe Return to Singapore

Ms. Aishah's older brother, Syafiq Siregar, announced on Sunday that she had safely returned to Singapore.

In a public statement, he apologised on behalf of the family.

"In this situation, my sister went missing without providing any updates on her whereabouts. We also found large transactions made to a person we did not know. We could only think of the worst, and I believe any parent or sibling would have thought the same," he said.

He added that the family's intention had always been to find Ms. Aishah safely.

"Our intentions was never to hurt the feelings of the people of Cambodia, but only to find our sister and bring her home safely. We are unable to control what the public or media say, report, or speculate. I hope you can understand the fear and desperation our family felt."

Family Says They Will Address Her Concerns Privately

Mr. Syafiq also acknowledged his sister's statement that she had felt "restricted and stressed."

He said the family would take her concerns seriously and deal with them privately and respectfully.

"While we are deeply relieved that Aishah has been found safe, we are also saddened by the speculation and negative comments directed at our family. Those who know us as a family understand the close bond and care we have always shared," he said.

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