JOHOR BAHRU: Six months on, a faithful husband waits for his wife, who has been missing since Dec 26 last year, to return to the embrace of their family.
Mohd Yusof, 35, remains confident that his wife, Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi, 34, will return safely.
According to Mohd Yusof, efforts to find his wife are ongoing, and he has also sought assistance from experts in Islamic medicine.
"I consulted an Islamic medical expert. I was informed that my wife indeed wants to return, but there are obstacles. It's like someone is holding her back.
"I know my wife is still in this country. I sincerely hope that if someone is 'keeping' her or if anyone finds her, they will kindly release her and return her to me and our children," he said when contacted.
Mohd Yusof said that their eldest child, aged nine, understands that their mother has disappeared and often expresses longing for her.
He added that the other two children, aged four and six, still think that their mother, who works as a teacher, has gone to school.
Istiqomah has not returned home since Dec 26 and has been unreachable ever since.
Mohd Yusof filed a police report immediately after the woman's disappearance, and the next day, her car was found parked at a supermarket near Kota Masai, close to their home.
Providing further details, Mohd Yusof said that CCTV footage from the supermarket showed a man exiting the vehicle, but his wif ewas not visible.
"I do not know the man, and he seems to be covering his face, making it difficult to identify him. Strangely, only that man left my wife's car, but my wife was not there," he said.
Mohd Yusof said that on the day of the incident, he left for work at Pasir Gudang at 6:30 am, and everything at home seemed normal.
"It was school holidays, so my wife didn't work. That morning, I left for work as usual, and my wife and I had no issues. We bid each other goodbye as usual.
"When I returned home at 6pm, my wife wasn't there. She also didn't inform me of her whereabouts. When I asked my child, they said my wife went to school.
"I then looked for her at the school, but the security guard informed me that my wife wasn't there. I sent her a message via WhatsApp, but it didn't reach her.
"For the first three days, she sent messages, but the wording seemed off. After sending a message, her phone seemed to be switched off," he said.
Seri Alam District Police Chief, Superintendent Mohd Sohaimi Ishak, confirmed receiving the report on the woman's disappearance on Dec 27, 2023, at 12.36 am.
"Until now, the investigation is ongoing, and efforts to locate the woman are still underway," he clarified.