'I would not recognise you on the street': Indira's poignant plea to daughter Prasana

'I would not recognise you on the street': Indira's poignant plea to daughter Prasana

Farah Solhi
Published: Aug 24, 2026 4:18 PM
Updated: 6:25 PM



At the Palace of Justice, where the nation’s highest courts hear cases that shape people’s lives, a mother painted a deeply painful picture of what could happen if she crossed paths with her own daughter.

“If she does not greet me, I would not recognise her if I met her on the street… It is heartbreaking for a mother not to know her own child. It is unbearable,” said M Indira Gandhi.

The last time the mother of three laid eyes on her youngest child was when she was just an 11-month-old infant in 2009.

After exhausting every avenue, including ascending and descending the court steps countless times over the past 17 years, Indira hopes her plight will move her daughter, Prasana Diksa, to get in touch.

“I hope if she sees this, just come and see me… That is all I want.

“I hope she can contact me because that’s the only way. I’ve gone to the courts, I’ve gone to the police, and I still have not heard anything (about Prasana).

“My only hope is to go and plead to the public or for Prasana herself to contact me,” the 52-year-old kindergarten teacher told reporters, struggling to hold back tears.

Indira was present at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya for the Court of Appeal’s decision in her RM100 million nonfeasance suit appeal, which was dismissed.

Indira has been embroiled in an uphill legal battle since her ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah, formerly known as K Pathmananthan, unilaterally converted their children to Islam and abducted their then 11-month-old daughter.

READ MORE: Indira's legal battle for 16 years: A mum looks for her child

She obtained full custody of her children in 2010, resulting in her two elder children, Tevidarsiny and Karan Dinish, being returned to her.

Despite the custody order and subsequent court rulings, Prasana was never returned.

No contact from cops since Nov 22 march

After years of legal battles, Indira, together with the Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) and several prominent activists, staged a march on Nov 22 last year to protest the authorities’ failure to locate and return her daughter.

Describing the march as her final appeal to the nation’s conscience, Indira had hoped to end it by meeting Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail

However, the meeting only took place 18 days after the march. Ingat chairperson Arun Dorasamy later described it as a disappointing affair, claiming that Khalid appeared oblivious to the gravity of their plight.

Speaking to reporters today, Arun claimed that there has been no communication with the police since that meeting.

“After the meeting, I was informed that the criminal investigation division’s deputy will contact me to get all the intelligence we gathered through our private investigators. But there’s been no contact…,” he added.

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Trump says Canada wants 'benefits' of being US state after trade talks collapse

Trump says Canada wants 'benefits' of being US state after trade talks collapse

13 hours ago
Nadine Yousif

Senior Canada reporter, Toronto

Reuters
Trump has repeatedly mentioned making Canada the "51st state" of America since returning to office


US President Donald Trump has said Canada wants "the benefits of being a state, without being one" after trade talks between the two countries collapsed late on Friday.

The breakdown of negotiations triggered new 50% US tariffs on a range of Canadian goods. Trump also said American farmers had been charged "massive amounts of Tariffs" for years.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the fresh tariffs a "miscalculation" designed to "hurt and divide us".

Carney confirmed he would match Trump's tariffs "dollar-for-dollar" from 8 September, including levies on steel, dairy, appliances and electronics, saying the US and Canada were now in a trade war.

Both countries were optimistic of a deal earlier in the week, but talks fell apart after both sides accused the other of making last-minute changes.

"They asked too much and they offered too little," Carney said on Saturday. "You're at war when you get attacked. We got attacked."

Trump's latest comments echo his repeated references to making Canada the "51st state" of America since returning to office, sparking frustration among its leaders and residents.

The collapse of the trade talks upended a deeply integrated trading relationship with no clear path to resolution.

"We cannot accept what they've offered and we will not give what they've asked," Carney said.

Trump told Fox News on Sunday that the Canadians were "foolish" to engage in a trade war with the US and think they will "actually win".

The new 50% US tariffs will apply to a range of Canadian goods, in addition to existing US tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber.

They are limited in scope, covering about $20bn (£15bn; C$28bn) of imports from Canada, or about 5% in total, including wine, dairy, cement, clothing and hockey equipment.

The prime minister said Canada was retaliating "reluctantly" to protect its interests, with details of counter-measures to be released in the coming days.

Carney faces crucial test after walking away from Trump's deal

Leaders of other federal parties in Canada, including the Conservative opposition, voiced support for the prime minister, as have the leaders of some Canadian provinces.

Tariffs - a tax on goods imported from other countries - have been a key component of Trump's trade policy, with the US president arguing that they will boost American manufacturing and create jobs at home.

Critics, however, say tariffs have raised prices for American consumers, and have disrupted and damaged the global economy.

Carney's speech on Saturday was his first address to Canadians after he announced late on Friday night that a deal would not be reached, accusing the US side of making "last-minute changes" that were "unfair" and "uneconomic".

US negotiators, meanwhile, accused Canada of making "new demands and walk backs" on terms which had been previously agreed.

US trade representative Jamieson Greer told Fox News on Saturday that there were no plans to resume talks.

He added that the US had been prepared to cut some of its tariffs on Canada as part of the ill-fated deal.

Carney, however, said the US presented "unacceptable" terms that were too restrictive, including curbing Canada's ability to strike new trade deals with other countries.

He also rejected the assertion that Canada had made last-minute requests: "We clarified what was on offer and were continually disappointed by the answers."

Watch: 'US asked too much and offered too little,' says Canada's PM Mark Carney

Doug Ford, the leader of Canada's most populous province Ontario, backed Carney and said Trump "can't be trusted".

British Columbia Premier David Eby said the US demand for restrictions on Canada's ability to have other trade deals "would reduce us to the economic equivalent of the 51st state".

"It was never acceptable to Canadians," Eby said.

The Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre also appeared to support Carney, calling the latest US levies "unjustified".

Quebec's premier, Christine Fréchette, warned jobs would likely be lost as a result of the new US tariffs.

"Behind these numbers are real people," she said, vowing to introduce measures to support impacted sectors.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, whose oil-rich province has worked to make inroads with the Trump administration, urged both sides to resume talks.

The collapse comes after more than a year of on-again, off-again trade talks, which intensified in recent weeks after a US-imposed deadline to strike a deal or face further tariffs.

The two countries were also engaged in a mandatory review of an existing North American free trade agreement, known as USMCA, with Mexico.

The pact was signed by Trump during his first term to replace the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. It underpins $1.6tn (£1.2tn) in annual trilateral trade across Canada, the US and Mexico.

Earlier this summer, Canada and Mexico had formally requested for USMCA to be renewed for another 16 years. The US, however, declined to renew it in its current form.

Asked how Friday's trade talk collapse would impact the North American free trade pact, Carney said it was "certainly not good news".

Ronnie Liu’s PBM may be set to ‘punch above its weight’

Murray Hunter


Ronnie Liu’s PBM may be set to ‘punch above its weight’

The candid Ronnie who has never been slow to voice out peoples’ causes, often had fallings out with the leadership of his former party, the DAP

Murray Hunter
Aug 23, 2026






ONLY a couple of weeks ago, Ronnie Liu announced that he is bringing Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) to peninsula politics with a very strong creed.

In a press conference full of ‘old timers’, Ronnie espoused that PBM would fight to preserve Malaysia as a non-racial, non-theocratic democracy.

PBM wants to nurture an open, free, harmonious, and prosperous society.

The candid Ronnie who has never been slow to voiice out peoples’ causes, often had fallings out with the leadership of his former party, the DAP.

Ronnie retired but remained a staunch supporter of prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, supporting the visions that Pakatan Harapan stood for.

This time around, Ronnie most likely sees himself as emulating peoples’ desires for the nation.

He still upholds the values and principles he did while serving the DAP for 40 years.

No doubt, PBM will be a populist party, and according to Ronnie himself will also be pragmatic to further the peoples’ cause.

Since the PBM launch, many have written off PBM as being just another mosquito-party with the usual fate.

However, reports coming back to the writer indicate that many non-Malays on the ground seem to respond very positive to the message and see PBM and Ronnie as some hope for the future.

Its very clear where PBM’s potential support lays.

It will be in largely non-Malay electorates through Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, and Penang.

One would say that Ronnie’s potential base of support lays in Selangor and the Federal Territories simply because many there know the man.

There is no data to indicate whether its just the ‘Otai’ generation that supports him or whether GenZ and Millennials will also heed the PBM message.

What we do know is that the Ronnie ‘train’ is now on the hustings and receiving very positive messages back.

PBM is going to crowd the non-Malay voter cohort with lots of choices in the coming general election and may become a factor which the DAP leadership didn’t calculate on in their electoral strategy.

PBM may become what Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli’s Parti Bersama Malaysia wanted to achieve.

In fact, PBM may perform much better than Bersama because its is being built from the ground, rather than by using social media from a central office.

Ronnie has that charisma which just may work. As a consequence, PBM maybe able to ‘punch above its weight’. – August 23, 2026

Appellate court rejects Indira's RM100m claim but flags 'material delays' by police

Appellate court rejects Indira's RM100m claim but flags 'material delays' by police

Farah Solhi
Published: Aug 24, 2026 2:28 PM
Updated: 5:50 PM



The Court of Appeal has unanimously dismissed M Indira Gandhi’s RM100 million nonfeasance lawsuit against the government and former top police officials over their failure to apprehend her ex-husband and recover her abducted daughter.

The ruling denies Indira (above) financial compensation for her prolonged separation from her youngest child, and affirmed that private damages cannot be awarded for administrative police failures without proving direct legal causation.

Delivering the judgment, judge Faizah Jamaludin stated that while Indira’s suffering was undisputed, she failed to prove on the balance of probabilities that police omissions directly caused her ex-husband, Riduan Abdullah (previously known as K Pathmanathan), to evade arrest.

“A more prompt nationwide directive, an earlier media appeal, or an earlier Interpol step might have improved the prospects of success.

“The evidence did not show that any such step would probably have ended the separation or shortened it by an identifiable period.

“We do not doubt the reality of a parent’s pain, her anxiety, and continuing sense of injustice (as) the requirement of causation does not diminish that suffering.

“(But causation) identifies the loss for which the law may require a defendant to answer as the consequence of an actionable wrong. That connection was not proved on the balance of probabilities,” she said.

However, the Court of Appeal departed from the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s earlier finding that the police had fully performed their duties.

READ MORE: Indira's legal battle for 16 years: A mum looks for her child

Faizah, who sat on the bench alongside judges Zaini Mazlan and Radzi Abdul Hamid, pointed to material delays, lack of contemporaneous records, and weak evidence by the police.

“Nothing in these grounds should be understood as conferring a general immunity upon the police or as suggesting that a failure to obey and execute lawful orders and warrants of the courts is legally inconsequential,” she said, noting that police retain a continuing statutory duty to execute the outstanding arrest warrant against Riduan.

“Our conclusion is confined to the private law claim as pleaded and to the evidence adduced in this appeal,” she said, in dismissing the appeal without costs.

Suit filed in 2020

Indira filed the suit in 2020 against former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Abdul Hamid Bador, the Home Ministry, police, and the government, claiming that the defendants failed to take necessary steps to apprehend Riduan for abducting their daughter Prasana Diksa, despite several court orders since 2014.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed her lawsuit in 2024 after finding that the police had taken necessary steps to execute the court orders, leading to today’s appeal.

Indira was present in court today alongside Indira Gandhi Action Team chairperson Arun Dorasamy.

Speaking to reporters after the proceedings, Arun said they will review the latest judgment before deciding their next course of action, including whether to plead their case to the Federal Court.

'Honesty is part of reform' - Tian Chua urges PKR to own up to unrealistic promises

'Honesty is part of reform' - Tian Chua urges PKR to own up to unrealistic promises

Mastura Malak
Published: Aug 24, 2026 10:07 AM
Updated: 5:05 PM



PKR and Pakatan Harapan once promised a “new dawn” for Malaysia, pledging sweeping reforms if the coalition came to power.

But with many of those promises still unmet, detractors have accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration of falling short of the high hopes it once inspired.

Reflecting on the growing disappointment, expelled former PKR deputy president Chua Tian Chang, who is seeking a return to the Anwar-led party, said there must be acknowledgement that some of the reform pledges were overly ambitious and difficult to fulfil.

For him, an honest admission of those shortcomings would not amount to surrendering the reform agenda, but should instead be seen as part of the reform process itself.

“Reform also includes being honest in telling voters that some of the promises that were made are not realistic, and that mistakes were made. That is a mistake we have to accept, and we have to show the spirit (of reform).

“We promised to abolish tolls, but abolishing tolls is not the ultimate goal. In the end, what we want to achieve is to reduce the cost of living.

“So we have to find another way and be more creative, rather than going back to the promise and saying, ‘We cannot do it this term, so we will do it next term.’ That is a lie, and that is also something that is not realistic.

“So, there are more such matters which need to be updated, especially after it is included in the system, the state of budget is known, the state of the nation’s earning is known, and change or take on a reformasi that is more effective and realistic compared to promises which we made while we were on the streets,” Chua said on “Explain Sikit Kini”, a podcast produced by KiniTV.

Popularly known as Tian Chua, he also argued that Anwar should not be singled out since the responsibility for carrying out reforms also rested with every minister in the Madani government.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim


“It is the responsibility of every minister to see how they can deliver reforms through their own authority and by improving their own performance.

“It also depends on PKR members and its middle-ranking leaders to work towards achieving the reforms that we promised,” he said on the podcast.


‘Make the most of the time you have left’

Chua was expelled from PKR after contesting as an independent candidate in the Batu parliamentary seat in the last general election.

However, he reportedly attended the party congress in Malacca on Aug 15, where Anwar apologised and appealed to former party leaders and activists to return to PKR in his policy speech.

Meanwhile, Chua said the PKR leadership must find more creative ways to deliver on its promises to the people, particularly in easing the cost of living.

He said the government should make the most of the remainder of its term to advance the reform agenda, rather than continue making promises that may prove unrealistic or difficult to fulfil.


What’s the ultimate objective of reforms?

The podcast also featured writer and former Malaysiakini chief editor Fathi Aris Omar, who concurred with Chua.

Fathi pointed to the debate over calls to abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA), particularly to give university students greater political freedom, as an example.

He said the push to abolish UUCA should not come at the expense of the broader objective of strengthening excellence in universities.

Fathi Aris Omar


“Sometimes we become too legalistic and technical.

“We forget whether what we want is to give university students political freedom through the abolition of UUCA, or whether we want to build excellent universities. If we want to build excellent universities, abolishing UUCA alone is not enough.

“So, what is our actual context? In the context of UUCA, NGOs, activists, writers, and sometimes political party members forget that our fundamental issue is education.

“How do we improve excellence in higher education? And this is also related to how our standards at primary and secondary schools have declined,” he added.

 

Tahfiz teacher claims trial to sexually assaulting pupils

Tahfiz teacher claims trial to sexually assaulting pupils

2 hours ago

Bernama

Ilyas Jamaludin is accused of committing the offences against the boys, aged 10 and 11, between July and August 2026.

Ilyas Jamaludin claimed trial in the Ampang sessions court to four counts of committing physical sexual assault against two male pupils.

KUALA LUMPUR:

A 35-year-old tahfiz teacher pleaded not guilty in the Ampang sessions court today to four counts of committing physical sexual assault against two male pupils at a religious school in Taman Keramat.

Ilyas Jamaludin is alleged to have committed the offences against the boys, aged 10 and 11, at the premises between July and August 2026.

The charges were made under Sections 14(a) and 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act.

Under Section 14(a) and 14(b), the offence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a caning. Section 16(1) provides for an additional term of up to five years’ imprisonment and no fewer than two strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

Ilyas also faces a charge under Section 15(f) of the same Act, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years, a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both.

Deputy public prosecutor Nadiah Malek Fauzie did not offer bail, citing the seriousness of the alleged offences and expressing concern that the Ilyas might intimidate the victims if released.

However, Ilyas’s lawyer Zaharudeen Harun applied for bail of RM10,000 for all four charges, saying his client had been immediately dismissed from his job and needed to support his ailing elderly parents.

“I understand that the madrasah has terminated the accused’s employment with immediate effect, and there is no issue of him returning to the premises to interfere with witnesses or the victims,” the lawyer said.

Judge Ho Kwong Chin granted bail of RM30,000 with one surety for all four charges, subject to Ilyas reporting to the nearest police station each month and refraining from contacting or intimidating any witnesses or victims until the case is concluded.

The court set Oct 5 for the next case mention.

Roller coaster mishap at Subang Jaya theme park leaves ten hurt, police investigating

Roller coaster mishap at Subang Jaya theme park leaves ten hurt, police investigating



A general view of a roller coaster ride at a theme park. — Unsplash pic


Summary

• A roller coaster incident at a theme park in Subang Jaya resulted in minor injuries to ten individuals, with a total of 22 local and foreign riders affected.
• The incident occurred around 9 PM on Saturday, with a report lodged on Sunday morning.
• District police chief ACP Wan Azlan Wan Mamat confirmed that all injuries were minor and emphasized that the police are investigating the incident.
• He urged the public not to speculate on the matter to avoid obstructing the investigation.

First Published: Monday, 24 Aug 2026 2:37 PM MYT


SUBANG JAYA, Aug 24 — Ten people sustained minor injuries in a roller coaster incident at a theme park here.

District police chief ACP Wan Azlan Wan Mamat said the incident took place at about 9pm on Saturday, while the report was lodged with police at 11.45am yesterday.


He said 22 people, comprising locals and foreign tourists aged between 11 and 44, were on the ride when the incident occurred.


“Ten of them sustained injuries and were taken to medical centres in the Subang Jaya district for treatment.


“All the victims sustained minor injuries and there were no fatalities,” he said in a statement today.


Wan Azlan said police were investigating the incident and advised the public not to speculate, as this could hamper the investigation.

“Anyone with information can contact the Subang Jaya Police headquarters at 03-78627100,” he said. — Bernama

James Chin hails Prof Solehah’s contract termination but rightists defend her academic wisdom

James Chin hails Prof Solehah’s contract termination but rightists defend her academic wisdom

FIRST thing first. There is a slight plot twist in the decision by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) to end its employment of controversial academic Solehah Yaacob effective April 27.

Recall that IIUM in distancing itself from the Arabic linguist specialist-turned-historian without credential has stressed that the latter was no longer permitted to use any title or position linked to the university or allowed to claim any affiliation with the higher learning institution.

[MEDIA RELEASE]

CLARIFICATION ON SERVICE STATUS AND AFFILIATION WITH IIUM

#IIUM2026...

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However, the former Department of Arabic Language and Literature who accused IIUM of having acted unprofessionally in her contract discontinuity would be referring the matter to the Industrial Court.

“The reason I was terminated was because I didn’t attend even one academic inquiry meeting regarding the Roman ship issue. For the two meetings before that, I had a ward admission letter and a sick leave certificate,” she apparently told Malay language news portal TV Pertiwi.

As for the third time, I’ve written an e-mail apologising and asking for it to be re-scheduled given I had already obliged to attend a programme one month before I found out the date of the inquiry meeting.

I couldn’t cancel the programme because the participants have already made the payment and the banner had already been put up for a long time. The case has been referred to the Industrial Court pending the letter for filing.

For the record, IIUM had established an internal inquiry panel late last year to examine Solehah’s arguments regarding the Roman shipbuilding issue related to academic integrity.

The inquiry panel was chaired by Deputy Rector (Academic & Internationalisation) Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Faris Ismail.

Sympathisers aplenty

Avid political commentator Ptof James Chin lauded IIUM’s decision to severe any connection with Solehah on grounds that her academic wisdom has severely damaged the latter’s reputation.

“People shouldn’t pity her because she had complete freedom to spread her mind-blowing ideas … She has joined a right-wing firm whereby she’s now conducting cruises and well-attended workshops on a full-time basis,” the inaugural director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania told FocusM.

IIUM finally took action because of the negative publicity, all driven by soc-med. In other words, if soc-med did not expose her "research" she will still be IIUM Professor? #JustAsking

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“Such ecosystem will enable her and other likeminded people to amplify greatness of the Malay civilisation in that it is not only the oldest but most superior in this part of the world … It baffles the mind as to why many fall for that or how this proliferates so fast in the Malay society.”

Likening Solehah’s antics to the western craze in the “ancient aliens” phenomenon, Chin contended that the Malay society always has soft spot for such alternative history element.

“PAS can surely derive mileage from her given she’s both sympathetic of the Islamist party’s position, especially with her belief that Islam has its presence in Malaysia even earlier than the 14th century,” opined Chin who is also the senior associate at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR).

“Nevertheless, that same wavelength and belief in alternative history pose danger as they paint the impression of Malays being suppressed, hence can spark unduly racial tension by their act of lashing out against the minority.”

As it is, some rational Malays, too, welcome the termination of Solehah on grounds of the numerous deceptive findings associated with her.

Kepakaran bahasa Arab memberi seseorang kemampuan membaca dan mentafsir sumber Arab, tetapi tidak secara automatik memberikan kepakaran dalam sejarah maritim atau arkeologi.

Dakwaan sejarah yang besar tetap perlu diuji dengan metodologi disiplin tersebut dan disokong oleh bukti daripada sumber yang pelbagai.

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But the irony is such that the rightist fraternity is seemingly defensive of Solehah as gauged from reaction of commenters from the TV Pertiwi Facebook post and that of Malay language portal Malaysia Gazette.

Dr. Solehah Yaacob tidak boleh lagi dikaitkan dengan Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) selepas perkhidmatannya sebagai kakitangan akademik ditamatkan berkuat kuasa 27 April lalu.

Pejabat Komunikasi, Advokasi dan Promosi (OCAP) UIAM dalam kenyataan hari ini memaklumkan, Solehah tidak lagi memegang jawatan sebagai profesor di universiti berkenaan atau mewakilinya dalam apa-apa perjawatan.

Berita lanjut layari www.malaysiagazette.com

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In a gist, many who are fascinated with her lecture want her “to continue unveiling the greatness if Malay Muslim civilisation” or that she will continue to be protected by the All Mighty in her quest to unearth the ultimate truth about the greatness of Malay civilisation even if they defy “modern day imperialistic history”.

Elsewhere, there are also words of encouragement for her to sue IIUM over her unfair dismissal given there are “invisible hands to prevent foresightful Malay academicians from excelling in their fields of studies”. – Aug 24, 2026