Lombok issue - Noor Fadilah finally united with her family

NUSA TENGGARA BARAT (Mataram), Oct 29 (Bernama) -- After 54 days of separation, Noor Fadilah Ahmad finally was united with her parents in an emotional meeting here Tuesday.

She met her father, Ahmad Abdul Hamid, 46, and mother, Masitah Abdullah, 42, at the Mataram district immigration office after they were brought there by Umno Youth's caring society secretariat.

In the 1.45pm reunion, Noor Fadilah hugged her father and tried to dissuade him from looking for Nasrudin Dahrom, the Lombok Timur youth who brought her here.

The tense situation became very emotional when Masitah alighted from the car and hugged her eldest child and cried watched by more than 50 people including secretariat chairman, Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

"Don't you love me," Masitah asked her child who sobbed loudly even as she asked for forgiveness.

The emotional meeting took 10 minutes before they entered the immigration office to settle Noor Fadilah's travel documents as she had entered Lombok illegally on Sept 6.

Noor Fadilah from Bagan Serai, Perak, followed Nasrudin to Lombok leaving Malaysia on Sept 3 without her parents' blessings as they did not approve of her love affair.

The couple is said to have married in Batu Belik, Aimal, Lombok Timur, on Oct 11 against the wishes of her father.

"We are matched and this is our destiny. I ask for forgiveness from her father. If necessary I will kiss his feet," said Nasrudin to reporters outside the immigration compound.

On Sept 4, Ahmad had made a police report asked for help to bring back Noor Fadilah and the Umno Youth secretariat had responded.

According to Indonesian law, anyone entering the country illegally can be jailed for six years or fined 30 million rupiahs.

However, as a result of negotiations between the secretariat represented by Abdul Azeez and the head of the Mataram district immigration's head of surveillance and action, M.Adnan, Noor Fadilah was allowed to go free.

"What is important is that all parties learn from this and that it does not happen again. This is a small effort of the secretariat to help people," said Abdul Azeez.

Earlier, Abdul Azeez who was mobbed by a crowd, including Nasrudin's family members, advised him to resolve the matter using Malay law and tradition.

"Do not separate them," said Nasrudin's mother, Rumini, 55, who wanted the matter to be resolved amicably after Noor Fadilah was detained by immigration since Oct 16.

Nasrudin who was allowed to meet Noor Fadilah's mother at the Silaparang airport at Mataram repeatedly asked forgiveness from Masitah for the couple's actions.

The secretariat team is expected to return to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 11.30pm.

-- BERNAMA