Indira calls Nov 22 march 'mother's final appeal to her nation's conscience'

M Indira Gandhi, who has spent more than a decade yearning for her missing daughter Prasana Diksa, has described the upcoming march on Nov 22 in Kuala Lumpur as nothing less than “a mother’s final appeal to her nation’s conscience”.

“This march is not against any faith, race, or institution… It represents the pain of separation, the endurance of hope, and the unbroken spirit of love that no injustice can silence,” she said, urging Malaysians to walk beside her.

“As I push Prasana’s stroller, filled with her clothes and toys, I will carry the strength that all of you have given me over the years.

“The march will culminate at Bukit Aman, where I will personally hand over Prasana’s teddy bear to the inspector-general of police (IGP) - a symbol of a mother’s faith that justice, though delayed, can still be redeemed,” she added.

Indira has called on participants to dress in white - the colour of “purity, truth and the unconditional love of a mother” - as the march begins from the Sogo shopping mall at 10.30am.

“Together, let our unity in white show the world that love remains the purest form of justice.

“Your presence on that day will mean more than words can express. It will reaffirm our collective belief that no one stands above the law, and that a nation’s greatness is measured by its compassion toward its most helpless.

“From the depths of my heart, I thank you once again for walking this journey beside me - with empathy, conviction, and courage. Let us march together one last time, not just for my daughter, but for justice itself,” she added.

Wanted for over a decade

Her plea comes amid renewed outrage over revelations that her ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah, may have been living freely in Malaysia despite an arrest warrant issued more than 10 years ago.

Checks by Malaysiakini on the Budi95 and Rahmah Necessities Aid (Sara) platforms, using an IC number linked to Riduan, found that the account had fully used the one-off RM100 Sara cash aid and part of the 300-litre Budi95 fuel subsidy quota - deepening public anger over what many see as years of official inaction.

The saga began in 2009 when Riduan unilaterally converted their three children to Islam without Indira’s consent and sought custody through the Syariah Court.

Although the Ipoh High Court granted her full custody the following year, the battle dragged on with the Court of Appeal in 2014 overturning a High Court order compelling the inspector-general of police to retrieve Prasana.

In 2016, the Federal Court finally ordered the police to arrest Riduan and reunite Prasana with her mother - a mandate that remains unfulfilled to this day.

In 2020, Indira filed a RM100 million suit naming former IGP Abdul Hamid Bador, the police, the Home Ministry and the government as defendants, citing their failure to enforce the court order.

But in June last year, the High Court dismissed her claim, ruling that the authorities had sufficiently discharged their duties. The Court of Appeal later heard arguments that the police owed no “duty of care” to Indira in the ongoing search for her daughter.

Now, as the march approaches, Indira’s struggle has come full circle - from the corridors of power and justice to the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

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