Single mum now allowed to see kids once a week

GEORGE TOWN: A single mother who was prevented from seeing her three children by a Welfare Department officer despite being granted full custody has now been allowed weekly visits.

Loh Siew Hong, 35, was only recently reunited with her children, 14-year-old twin daughters and a 10-year-old son, who had been taken away and hidden from her by her ex-husband and subsequently a third party since 2019.

She met them for the first time in three years at a police station in Perlis but the children were initially reluctant to follow her home because they were afraid their father might harm himself in prison if they did.

Despite having legal sole custody of the children, Loh, a chef in Genting Highlands, decided to let them be under the care of the Perlis Welfare Department until her habeas corpus application is heard at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Feb 21.

However, Loh, who later tried to visit her children, was told by a welfare officer that she could not do so due to an increase in Covid-19 cases in the country.

However, at 6pm on Tuesday (Feb 15), Loh received a call from a welfare officer informing her that she could now visit her children once a week, according to Penang-based NGO Tamilar Kural Malaysia president David Marshel.

“It’s good to know that the mother can now see her children but for us, the mother should be able to visit her own children every day, as per the earlier arrangement,” he said when contacted.

He said the three children were currently being placed at the Taman Sinar Harapan home in Jitra under the Perlis Welfare Department.

“The children did nothing wrong. Why are they being kept at a home and their mother not allowed to visit them?” he asked.