I refer to the malaysiakini report WAO director: Raimah was under 'duress' .

Lawyer Karpal Singh does seem to protest too much against Ivy Josiah's statement regarding the settlement between Raimah Bibi and Jais concerning the custody of her children. Unlike Karpal, I don't see her statement as consisting of 'unwarranted and sinister insinuation(s)'. In fact, she is just expressing the doubts and concerns that many of us have regarding the settlement that was supposedly brokered by Karpal.

I personally don't think that the settlement is a very good one. As Josiah says, a woman should have the right to be with her husband of choice and a mother to her children at all times. Yet here we have a situation where Raimah was taken away, against her will, from her children and her husband with whom she has lived for 20 years. In normal circumstances, the persons responsible for such an atrocity would be guilty of kidnaping or at least detaining a person against her will.

Yet, after more than a month, during which time Raimah was deprived of her freedom and separated from her loved ones, a settlement is reached whereby she gives up custody of her children and her right to live with her husband.

Furthermore, the perpetrators of the injustice against Raimah, her husband and her children are allowed to go off scot free, perhaps to continue their ignoble mission of sowing more human misery and injustice in the name of religion. Such a settlement seems to be far from being a satisfactory one.

It is not disputed that the terms of the settlement agreed upon between Karpal and Jais were recorded in open court, with Raimah confirming the arrangement. However there is nothing sinister in wondering aloud what transpired between Jais and Raimah.

Why would a mother want to give up custody of her children? Why would a wife want to give up her right to live with her husband, unless perchance he is an abuser and a philanderer - in which case why would she want to give custody of her children to such a man?

Karpal may be justifiably proud of his role in mitigating the worst effects of the injustice visited upon Raimah and her family by Jais, while most of us did nothing. Nevertheless, it would be prudent of him to recognise that the settlement is at best a poor compromise and does not address the basic injustice that has been and in fact continues to be committed, by breaking up a family. Asking Ivy to withdraw her statement and to apologise for it, is perhaps being a little too melodramatic.