Tearful reunion for mum and kids
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KUALA LUMPUR: It was an evening of joyful tears for boutique owner R. Beramalah Devei after she was reunited with her two children who were staying in a welfare home.
The reunion took place a day after it was reported in the media that the welfare home where the kids live had allegedly refused to release them to her.
The Ti-Ratana Welfare Society released Tham Ee Ching, 15, and her sister Ee Leng, nine, at about 6.30pm yesterday after having a “discharge interview” with Beramalah – which involved questions on her ability to care for the girls.
The home administration also refuted allegations by Beramalah that she was disallowed from taking back her children.
“I am very happy that my children have been returned to me. Now I can look forward to our Chinese New Year celebrations.
“After so long, we will be together as a family as we conduct prayers for my late husband on Chinese New Year eve this year,” she said when met outside the home after receiving her daughters.
Beramalah has three other daughters living with her but she had been pining over the past three years to get back her two other girls, who had been left at the home after her husband Tham Kok Cheong died in 2010.
At a separate press conference, Ti-Ratana vice-president Irving Ho denied the welfare home had ever stopped Beramalah from taking her children.
“We cannot release the children without a proper discharge interview, and while she filed six police reports since Dec 31, she only filed her application to discharge the children on Jan 7.
“In line with our procedures, the committee looked into the application and called her on Jan 16 to say she could take the children back, but she said she was busy and could not come over at the time,” he explained.
On allegations that the girls were abused and that no action had been taken by authorities, Ho said the police and Welfare Department officials had come to interview the girls, and their reports indicate no proof of abuse.
